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B  M  m?  3^b 


IT  PORTRAIT 
MVSTERY 


ITS  FINAL  SOLUTION 


David  P.  Abbott 


REPRINTED  FROM  "tHE  OPEN  COURT''  OP  APRIU  19U 


CHICAGO 
THE  OPEN  COURT  PUBLISHING  CO. 

1913 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT 
MYSTERY 


ITS  FINAL  SOLUTION 


David  P.  Abbott 


REPRINTED  FROM  "tHF.  OPEN  COURT''  OP  APRIU   1913 


CHICAGO 

THE  OPEN  COURT  PUBLISHING  CO. 

1913 


DAVID   P.    ABBOTT. 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT 
MYSTERY 

ITS  FINAL  SOLUTION 


DAVID  P.  ABBOTT 

II 


REPRINTED    FROM    "THE    OPKN    COURT        OF    APRIL,    igi3 


CHICAGO 
THE  OPEN  COURT  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

1913 


PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE. 

WE  are  greatly  pleased  to  be  able  to  make  public  a  secret  of  mediumship 
which  has  puzzled  the  world  of  believers  and  unbelievers  in  spiritualism 
for  many  years.  We  are  especially  interested  in  its  publication  because  we 
have  been  a  party,  albeit  in  a  passive  character,  to  its  gradual  disclosure. 

Mr.  David  P.  Abbott  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  a  genius  in  mediumistic  lore, 
the  author  of  the  remarkable  book  Behind  the  Scenes  with  the  Mediunvs,  was 
for  a  long  time  puzzled  at  the  marvel  of  some  well-known  mediums,  two 
sisters,  who  made  the  pictures  of  dead  relatives  appear  in  colored  painting 
before  the  eyes  of  their  sitters.  We  need  not  repeat  reports  of  spiritualists 
who  were  often  overwhelmed  at  the  spectacle,  and  even  skeptics  became  con- 
vinced that  here  was  true  evidence  of  spirit  life  which  would  prove  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul.  From  time  to  time  Mr.  Abbott  communicated  to  us 
the  gradual  progress  of  his  work  including  his  disappointments  when  his 
theories  proved  incorrect,  but  he  never  lost  the  conviction  that  the  mystery 
could  not  be  a  miracle  and  that  because  the  trick  was  so  effective  it  must  be 
very  simple. 

Any  one  who  is  acquainted  with  Mr.  Abbott's  great  work  Behind  the 
Scenes  with  the  Mediums  will  grant  that  there  is  no  one  more  familiar  than 
he  with  the  subtle  methods  of  deception  by  which  telling  effects  are  produced 
upon  believers  in  spiritualism — effects  which  will  frequently  remain  a  puzzle 
for  the  staunchest  skeptics. 

We  may  here  mention  that  Mr.  Abbott  is  also  the  inventor  of  a  mystic 
teakettle  which  can  be  carried  all  around  the  room  in  one's  hand  and  is  with- 
out connection  either  by  pipes  or  wires  with  any  external  object,  and  yet  its 
mysterious  little  spout  will  intelligently  answer  questions  to  the  inquirer  while 
he  holds  it  in  his  hands.  The  ghost  whom  he  makes  inhabit  the  teakettle 
speaks  in  a  tiny  whisper,  not  unlike  the  voice  of  the  famous  nun  of  Liibeck 
who  has  dwindled  away  to  nothingness  and  is  preserved  in  a  bottle  hung  up 
in  the  cathedral  of  her  native  city. 

We  congratulate  Mr.  Abbott  on  the  great  success  he  has  achieved  in  solv- 
ing the  great  mediumistic  mystery,  although  we  regret  that  it  was  not  he  who 
reaped  the  pecuniary  rewards.  P.  C. 


GIFT 


.0 


EDUC. 
f>SYCH. 

UBARir 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT  MYSTERY. 


IT  is  now  about  four  years  since  I  made  a  discovery  that  finally 
cleared  up  one  of  the  greatest  of  mediumistic  mysteries.  For 
about  fifteen  years  the  feat  of  producing-  spirit  portraits  has  baffled 
all  of  the  investigators  that  have  studied  the  problem.  Through  its 
agency  some  of  our  most  prominent  men  have  been  converted  to 
spiritualism,  and  conjurers  have  universally  acknowledged  it  to  be 
the  most  miraculous  phenomenon  that  ever  confronted  them.  Mean- 
while two  famous  lady  mediums  of  Chicago  have  continued  to  pro- 
duce these  wonderful  portraits  as  the  work  of  the  spirit  world ;  and 
while  some  have  disputed  the  genuineness  of  this  claim  without 
being  able  to  substantiate  their  view,  the  large  majority  that  were 
conversant  with  the  subject  have  continued  to  be  believers.  Editor 
Francis  of  The  Progressive  Thinker,  a  leading  spiritualistic  journal, 
for  years  kept  a  standing  cash  offer  to  be  given  to  any  one  who 
could  explain  this  wonder;  but  there  were  none  who  could  do  so, 
and  he  finally  died  without  any  one  claiming  the  reward. 

Since  the  discovery  of  the  secret  of  these  productions,  the  illu- 
sion has  been  presented  from  the  theatrical  stage  as  a  magical  crea- 
tion. The  English  conjurer  Selbit,  under  authority  of  Dr.  Wilmar 
of  London  (to  whom  I  had  sent  the  secret),  first  toured  England 
and  France  with  it,  and  then  presented  it  on  the  Orpheura  Circuit 
in  America  at  a  large  salary.  The  great  American  magician,  Mr. 
Howard  Thurston,  under  direct  authority  from  the  writer,  has  now 
presented  it  in  his  programs  for  two  years,  and  is  still  doing  so; 
while  Henry  Clive,  the  English  conjurer,  and  W.  J.  Nixon,  known 
as  the  "Master  Mind  of  Modern  Magic,"  both  are  now  presenting 
it  in  vaudeville  houses  in  the  east.  I  am  informed  that  it  is  also 
being  presented  in  Australia.  The  Pittsburg  Post  of  Jan,  1,  1913, 
contained  an  offer  of  five  hundred  dollars  made  by  Mr,  Clive  for  any 
chemist  who  would  chemically  analyze  his  canvases  and  find  them 


960 


2  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

prepared  in  any  way.  These  two  last-named  gentlemen  have  had  a 
controversy  recently  through  Variety,  as  to  who  has  the  American 
rights,  etc.,  and  it  has  developed  in  this  that  salaries  as  high  as  five 
hundred  dollars  a  week  are  now  being  paid  in  vaudeville  for  it.  But 
this  amount  is  small  when  compared  with  the  sums  paid  to  mediums 
for  this  work. 

In  the  summer  of  1908  the  two  Chicago  mediums  above  men- 
tioned visited  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  for  a  few  months.  It  was  said  that 
their  expenses  were  paid  by  a  noted  "healer"  of  that  city,  who  usually 
had  some  fifty  patients  at  his  doors  each  morning  awaiting  the 
"laying  on  of  hands."  He  was  said  to  have  an  income  of  five  hun- 
dred dollars  daily,  and  was  Kansas  City's  heaviest  individual  bank 
depositor. 

Mr.  C.  F.  Eldredge  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  in  a  letter  speaking 
of  this  healer  and  these  mediums,  said :  "I  hope  you  will  expose  this 
work,  for  it  is  the  greatest  mystery  in  the  world.  One  man  of  this 
city  spent  perhaps  ten  thousand  dollars  with  these  people,  and  he  is 
to-day  just  as  certain  that  his  pictures  were  painted  by  spirit  artists 
as  that  he  lives.  He  has  just  published  a  big  book  on  the  subject,^ 
all  full  of  these  pictures,  which  he  claims  was  written  by  his  dead 
wife  through  their  mediumship.  He  is  only  one  of  hundreds  who 
are  ready  to  stake  their  lives  on  this  work." 

Mr.  Eldredge  is  a  very  intelligent  man,  and  is  teaching  the 
mysteries  of  the  human  mind,  how  to  effect  certain  marvelous  cures, 
and  how  to  perform  other  mental  miracles — if  I  may  be  allowed 
the  word.  It  was  through  a  description  furnished  by  him  that  I 
was  able  finally  to  work  out  the  solution  of  this  mystery,  and  to 
settle  definitely  the  extravagant  claims  of  the  mediums,  besides 
making  the  stage  illusion  possible.  Mr.  Eldredge  had  the  privilege 
of  witnessing  one  of  the  Kansas  City  seances,  and  I  here  give  his 
report : 

"Having  met  by  appointment  at  the  residence  of  the  mediums, 
my  doctor  friend  and  myself  were  ushered  into  the  studio  where 
the  sitting  took  place.  The  object  was  to  secure  a  portrait  in  colors 
of  the  doctor's  sister  who  was  killed  some  six  years  ago  in  a  run- 
away accident. 

"The  doctor  was  requested  by  the  mediums  to  select  two  can- 

'  The  book  is  entitled,  Through  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  and  Beyond.  It 
has  an  introduction  by  "The  Supreme  Divine  Ruler  of  the  Spheres."  Among 
the  psychic  portraits  reproduced  in  it  are  one  of  this  dignitary,  one  of  "The 
Divine  Jose,"  one  of  "Rose  the  Sunlight,— one  who  walked  through  the  Valley 
of  the  Shadow,  etc.,"  one  of  "Emma  the  Starbeam"  and  others.  See  also  the 
book,  Two  Years  in  Heaven  by  "Rose  the  Sunlight." 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  6 

vases  from  a  dozen  or  more  that  were  leaning  against  the  wall. 
This  he  did  from  near  the  middle  of  the  pile,  holding  them  up  to  the 
light  and  rubbing  his  hand  over  them  in  order  to  determine  if  there 
was  any  coating  or  film  over  them.  I  also  examined  them  very  care- 
fully, and  was  satisfied  there  was  not.  One  of  the  mediums  now 
took  the  two  framed  canvases  and  placing  them  face  to  face,  stood 
them  upon  a  small  table  in  front  of  a  window  which  looked  out  upon 
the  Paseo,  one  of  the  great  boulevards  of  our  city.  The  canvases 
were  leaned  against  the  window  which  faced  the  south. 

"One  of  the  mediums  stood  upon  a  chair  and  pulled  down  the 
blind  to  the  top  of  the  canvases,  and  then  each  of  them  drew  a  soft, 
dark  curtain  from  the  side  of  the  window  to  the  frames,  thus  dark- 
ening all  of  the  window  except  where  light  came  through  the  can- 
vases, 

"The  light  from  the  window  passed  directly  through  the  can- 
vases and  they  appeared  clear  and  white.  My  friend  held  a  picture 
of  his  dead  sister  in  his  hand,  being  requested  to  fix  the  expression 
of  her  face  in  his  mind.  We  were  seated  immediately  in  front  of 
the  window,  not  more  than  three  feet  from  the  canvases  while  the 
mediums  stood  at  the  two  sides  of  the  table  holding  them  and  talking 
to  us. 

"After  waiting  possibly  five  minutes,  one  of  the  mediums  said, 
'You  will  observe  how  the  canvases  are  drawing.  They  are  being 
sized.'  The  front  canvas  did  seem  to  be  stretching  on  the  frame 
making  a  slight  noise,  as  if  the  thumb  were  being  drawn  upon  the 
side  of  the  frame.  Presently  the  noise  stopped,  and  there  appeared 
on  the  outer  edge  of  the  canvases,  or  rather  between  the  two,  a  slight 
shadow.  I  did  not  notice  it  until  our  attention  was  called  to  it  by  the 
mediums.  It  continued  to  darken  while  the  center  remained  white 
and  clear.  In  a  few  minutes  I  noticed  a  pale  pink,  almost  directly  in 
the  center.  It  seemed  like  the  glow  of  sunrise,  but  there  was  no 
form.  Next  we  noticed  an  outline.  The  face  was  forming.  We 
noticed  two  dark  blurs  that  grew  more  distinct,  and  we  saw  that  they 
were  eyebrows  and  eyelashes  of  closed  eyes.  The  lines  of  the  mouth 
appeared,  and  the  outlines  of  the  head  became  visible,  while  the 
shoulders  were  distinct;  and  then  the  eyes  opened  out,  giving  a 
life-like  effect  to  the  portrait. 

"Was  I  dreaming?  I  felt  like  pinching  myself  to  see.  A 
woman's  face  was  looking  at  us  from  between  the  canvases,  beautiful 
in  form  and  feature. 

"My  friend  had  been  told  to  suggest  any  changes  he  wanted 
during  the  formation  of  the  picture.     He  now  said  that  he  would 


4  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

like  the  face  turned  a  little  more  to  the  right  giving  more  of  a  front 
view.  Almost  immediately  the  picture  began  to  fade  from  the  can- 
vas, and  it  grew  fainter  until  it  lost  every  detail.  The  outlines  of 
the  head  became  indistinct.  The  eyes  went  out  into  mere  dark  rings. 
Presently  we  saw  the  face  coming  as  before.  The  face  seemed 
turned  a  little  this  time,  though  I  am  not  positive  that  it  was.  I 
imagined  that  it  was,  and  the  doctor  seemed  better  satisfied ;  how- 
ever, the  change  was  very  slight  if  any.  We  were  so  carried  away 
with  the  marvel  of  the  performance,  that  reason  gave  place  to  senti- 
ment. The  very  marvel  was  inspiring.  This  time  the  development 
was  more  rapid.    The  eyes  opened  again  as  before. 

"The  doctor  now  asked  that  the  eyes  be  made  a  little  darker 
blue,  more  of  a  gray ;  and  while  he  was  speaking  I  noticed  that  the 
eyes  were  changing  to  a  blue  gray,  or  else  my  imagination  was  play- 
ing me  false.  He  now  suggested  a  slight  change  of  the  nose,  which 
was  made,  and  the  lines  of  the  mouth  were  altered  at  his  suggestion. 
He  now  suggested  that  the  face  was  a  little  too  full,  and  it  seemed 
to  narrow  slightly.  The  picture  seemed  to  follow  the  doctor's 
thought.  He  was  asked  if  he  would  have,  as  a  hair  ornament  a 
crescent,  a  star  or  crown.  The  doctor  suggested  a  crescent,  and  im- 
mediately a  crescent  of  gold  with  gems  of  white  appeared.  Up  to 
this  time  the  shoulders  seemed  bare.  He  was  asked  to  choose 
whether  there  should  be  a  high  or  low  collar.  He  suggested  one  of 
medium  height  and  it  at  once  appeared.  On  looking  at  the  photo- 
graph, the  doctor  now  saw  a  string  of  beads  around  the  neck.  With- 
out speaking,  the  beads  came  into  view  about  the  neck,  one  bead  at 
a  time.  They  changed  in  color  from  white  to  amber  then  to  gold. 
He  seemed  to  conjure  the  picture.  As  a  dream  follows  the  will, 
so  this  pieture  followed  the  doctor's  thought.  Meanwhile  the  back- 
ground had  changed  in  color  several  times,  from  white  to  light 
yellow,  then  to  dark  yellow  or  brown,  and  then  to  green  with  a  tinge 
of  red,  after  which  it  mottled  beautifully  until  the  effect  was  superb. 
The  changes  took  place  like  waves  of  light  passing  upwards  over  the 
whole  picture.  The  two  canvases  were  now  laid  flat  on  the  table, 
and  a  third  canvas  was  then  lifted  from  the  floor  and  placed  over 
them  for  a  cover.  We  were  then  asked  to  place  our  hands  on  this, 
so  as  to  'set  the  colors.'  Soon  the  portrait  was  uncovered,  and  I 
found  the  paint  was  a  kind  of  greasy  substance,  as  I  rubbed  some  of 
it  on  my  fingers. 

"My  friend  had  enclosed  a  photograph  of  his  sister,  together 
with  a  letter  to  her  spirit,  between  slates  for  a  time,  in  the  presence 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  5 

of  these  mediums,  some  three  days  before  this  sitting.  It  was  then 
his  appointment  was  made. 

"I  have  heard  of  the  Hindu  magician  who  plants  a  seed  and 
grows  a  tree  before  your  eyes,  and  of  the  turning  of  water  into 
wine,  but  here  was  a  phenomenon  even  greater ;  one  that  seemed  to 
contradict  every  known  law  of  nature ;  and  now  as  I  record  this  the 
day  after,  I  am  more  bewildered  than  when  I  saw  the  work  done. 
I  do  not  believe  the  picture  was  painted  before  our  eyes,  for  that 
is  beyond  rational  belief,  and  by  no  process  of  reasoning  can  such 
an  idea  satisfy  my  mind.  Where  did  the  colors  come  from?  How 
did  they  get  between  the  close  fitting  canvases,  and  by  what  mirac- 
ulous power  were  they  intelligently  spread  over  one  of  them? 

"We  compared  the  portrait  with  the  photograph ;  the  psychics 
asked  to  see  it,  claiming  never  to  have  seen  it  before.  The  likeness 
was  perfect.  Any  one  could  recognize  it.  There  seemed  to  have 
been  no  opportunity  for  trickery  or  fraud,  and  everything  was  open 
and  above-board.  We  could  see  all  over  the  room  at  all  times,  under 
the  table  in  front  of  us,  and  everywhere.  Yet  the  work  was  contrary 
to  natural  law  and  all  human  experience. 

"One  of  these  mediums  said  to  me  when  speaking  of  their 
marvel,  'We  are  the  only  people  in  the  world  to-day,  who  positively 
and  absolutely  prove  immortality.' 

"I  expect  to  work  out  this  problem  somehow,  somewhere,  some- 
time.   But  there  is  no  hurry.    It  will  be  the  result  of  patient  effort. 

"Another  lady  here  had  quite  a  large  portrait  made.  It  came 
in  about  five  minutes.  She  said  it  seemed  like  a  rain-storm  on  the 
canvas,  the  colors  seemingly  being  pelted  on  in  waves." 

I  also  have  a  report  from  Thomas  Grinshaw,  the  spiritualist 
lecturer,  and  President  of  the  Missouri  State  Association  of  Spirit- 
ualists. He  saw  a  portrait  produced  on  a  stage  in  the  auditorium 
at  Camp  Chesterfield.  An  attempt  was  made  to  produce  a  portrait 
in  the  afternoon,  but  it  resulted  in  an  accident  and  nearly  caused 
a  fire.  The  attempt  was  repeated  in  the  evening  with  more  success. 
Clean  canvases  were  selected  by  a  committee  and  faced  together, 
and  placed  in  front  of  an  ordinary  wooden  soap-box. 

The  box  was  first  placed  on  a  little  table  near  the  front  of  the 
stage.  It  had  neither  front  nor  back,  and  an  ordinary  kerosene  lamp 
was  placed  in  the  box  to  shine  through  the  canvases.  A  black  cloth 
was  then  hung  over  the  rear  of  the  box  so  as  to  darken  the  room, 
and  cut  oflf  all  light  except  what  passed  through  the  canvases.  A 
medium  stood  at  each  side  of  the  box  holding  them.  The  portrait 
gradually  materialized,  then  dematerialized,  after  which  it  again  re- 


0  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

appeared.  He  was  particularly  impressed  by  the  making  of  the  lace 
work  around  the  neck.  A  large  audience  witnessed  this  production, 
and  a  large  committee  was  on  the  stage  and  helped  to  select  the  clean 
canvases. 

This  is  a  very  brief  summary  of  his  report.  It  will  be  seen  that 
all  of  the  main  features  are  about  the  same  as  described  by  Mr. 
Eldredge. 

I  also  have  a  report  from  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Odell. 
He  saw  a  portrait  produced  in  the  center  of  a  room  with  the  can- 
vases held  upright  on  a  table,  and  an  ordinary  incandescent  lamp 
hung  behind  them  to  shine  through  and  show  the  formation  of  the 
likeness.  Also  in  a  report  I  have  from  Dr.  Funk,  a  production  is 
described  where  the  canvases  were  set  on  an  easel,  and  he  was  per- 
mitted to  walk  between  them  and  the  window  while  the  picture  was 
coming  and  going. 

These  reports  are  of  great  length  but  I  have  given  here  in  the 
briefest  possible  manner  such  of  their  contents  as  I  think  will  best 
describe  what  I  think  it  is  safe  to  say  is  without  exception  the  most 
remarkable  mediumistic  performance  ever  given  in  the  world. 

After  studying  these  reports,  I  decided  to  begin  experimenting 
to  discover  the  secret  of  the  process,  always  assuming  that  nothing 
but  natural  means  were  employed. 

Readers  of  my  book  Behind  the  Scenes  with  the  Mediums,^ 
will  remember  some  correspondence  I  had  through  The  Open  Court^ 
in  regard  to  some  spirit  portraits  produced  by  certain  famous  me- 
diums. At  that  time  the  descriptions  of  the  act,  as  furnished  me, 
were  very  meager  and  incomplete  ;  and  this  fact  misled  me.  Naturally, 

1  thought  of  the  old  spray  method  of  developing  a  prepared  canvas, 
and  elaborated  on  the  method,  thinking  that  I  surely  had  the  prin- 
ciple upon  which  the  act  was  performed.  However,  as  at  a  later 
date,  I  was  furnished  the  above  accurate  reports  of  this  remarkable 
performance,  which  showed  entirely  different  conditions  from  those 
the  first  reports  conveyed  to  my  mind,  I  soon  discovered  that  the 
spray  method  was  impossible ;  and  I  freely  confess  that  the  explana- 
tion given  in  my  book  is  not  the  correct  one. 

I  now  experimented  with  a  graduated  gauze  screen,  as  there 
were  rumors  that  such  was  used.  I  soon  found  this  impossible ;  but 
after  a  short  time  I  made  a  most  startling  discovery  of  a  subtle 
principle  by  which  I  could  cause  a  portrait  to  materialize  between 
canvases,  and  also  again  to  dematerialize  at  will.  This  I  worked  in 
■Chicago,  The  Open  Court  Publishing  Co.,  1909. 
*  January  and  May,  1907. 


THE  SPIRIT   PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  / 

my  windows  and  showed  it  to  a  number  of  magicians,  spiritualists, 
and  other  friends,  among  them  my  magician  friend,  Mr.  Gabriel 
Rasgorshek,  and  I  explained  the  principle  to  him  at  that  time.  I  may 
say  that  it  is  not  a  spray  method,  neither  is  it  any  principle  of  de- 
veloping a  picture,  from  light,  chemicals  or  otherwise.  Also  it  is  no 
system  of  projection  such  as  the  stereoptican  idea  advanced  by  Rev. 
Osborn  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.  It  is  something  absolutely  new  up  to 
that  time  and  entirely  unknown  to  every  one  excepting  those  using 
it  publicly  and  possibly  a  few  of  their  most  intimate  friends. 

Mr.  Rasgorshek  and  I  both  decided  that  I  had  discovered  the 
principle  by  which  this  thing  was  done,  and  that  the  famous  secret 
was  at  last  brought  to  the  light  of  day;  but  owing  to  the  "over- 
enthusiasm"  of  some  parts  of  my  reports,  we  thought  there  was 
some  other  thing  used  with  it  as  an  accessory  for  producing  the  after 
effects,  such  as  the  lace  work,  and  hair  ornament.  Neither  had  T 
solved  the  problem  of  the  composition  of  the  colors.  So,  for  that 
reason,  I  did  not  publish  my  discovery  at  the  time,  but  waited  until 
opportunity  should  enable  me  to  verify  whether  or  not  my  discovery 
were  the  only  principle  used  in  the  production. 

On  August  11,  1909,  which  was  nearly  six  months  after  my  dis 
covery,  Dr.  Wilmar  (William  Marriott)  of  84  Bushwood  Road, 
Kew,  London,  S.  W.,  psychic  investigator  and  lecturer,  wrote  me  a 
letter  of  inquiry,  which  I  still  have  and  of  which  I  have  furnished 
the  editor  of  The  Open  Court  a  photographic  copy.  He  stated  that 
two  of  these  paintings  had  arrived  in  that  country,  and  he  asked 
me  to  furnish  him  the  fullest  report  possible  of  one  of  these  pro- 
ductions. He  did  not  know  I  had  been  working  on  the  case  and 
asked  the  probable  expense  of  having  me  see  a  portrait  produced. 

I  replied  to  this  letter  on  August  25,  1909,  and  gave  him  all  of 
the  reports  on  the  work  then  in  my  possession,  and  I  also  freely  ex- 
plained to  him  the  principle  which  I  had  discovered  for  causing  the 
portrait  to  materialise  and  demateriaUse.  After  this  a  number  of 
letters  on  the  subject  passed  between  us.  Dr.  Wilmar  then  asked 
me  not  to  publish  my  discovery  for  a  time,  and  I  dropped  the  matter. 

This  was  the  last  I  heard  of  Dr.  Wilmar  for  a  long  time.  Mean- 
while I  occasionally  exhibited  the  act  in  the  windows  of  my  office  to 
certain  magician  friends  when  they  happened  to  call. 

On  January  31,  1911,  Mr.  Eldredge  again  wrote  me,  requesting 
me  to  see  the  spirit  portraits  which  were  being  produced  upon  the 
Orpheum  Circuit,  and  which  would  arrive  in  Omaha  the  following 
week.  Amongst  other  things  he  said,  "The  whole  work  is  exactly 
as  performed  by  the  mediums,  and  the  paint  was  not  dry  when  the 


8  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

pictures  were  finished.  The  miracle  was  repeated  twice.  There  was 
no  switching  of  canvases,  no  tables,  everything  right  before  the  eyes 
of  the  committee  on  the  stage.  The  canvases  were  handed  out  to  be 
examined  by  the  audience.  The  man  conducting  the  work  here 
offered  five  hundred  dollars  to  any  chemist  who  could  tell  what  sub- 
stance the  colors  consisted  of.  He  offered  the  same  amount  to  any 
one  who  could  come  on  the  stage  and  explain  how  the  work  was 
done.  This  challenge  was  good  all  week.  The  work  was  exactly 
like  the  spirit  portrait  work  performed  by  the  mediums  I  wrote  you 
about  in  every  detail.  There  can  be  no  question  whatever  that  it  is 
the  same  thing  as  any  one  who  has  seen  both  must  admit.  If  you 
could  solve  this  you  could  easily  get  one  thousand  dollars  a  week  on 
the  legitimate  stage.  The  mediums  made  ten  times  that  amount 
while  here.  This  is  certainly  as  claimed  for  it — 'the  riddle  of  the 
century.' " 

He  also  enclosed  a  program  which  I  here  reproduce : 


PROGRAAl 

MR.  P.  T.   SELBIT 
Offering  a  Wierd  and  Wonderful  European  Sensation 

SPIRIT  PAINTINGS 

DR.    WILMAR'S   RIDDLE   OF   THE   CENTURY. 

Famous  Paintings  Reproduced  by  Spirit  Artists  in  Full  View  of  the  Audience,  Upon 
Ordinary  Canvasses  Chosen  by  Themselves. 

(Continued  on  Next  Program  Page.) 


As  soon  as  I  saw  the  name  "Wilmar,"  I  felt  assured  that  my 
principle  was  the  foundation  of  the  illusion.  My  wife  and  I  then 
attended  the  Orpheum  Theater,  and,  naturally  being  so  familiar  with 
the  act  followed  everything  in  minutest  detail.  Not  a  thing  es- 
caped us. 

Sure  enough  it  was  my  jDrinciple  upon  which  the  act  was  based, 
and  the  whole  illusion  was  built  around  it,  and  depended  upon  it 
entirely,  and  was  utterly  impossible  without  it. 

Later,  Mr.  Selbit  called  upon  me  with  a  letter  of  introduction 
and  proved  a  very  fine  gentleman  indeed.    Naturally,  I  told  him  how 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  ^ 

the  act  was  done  and  of  my  share  in  making  it  possible ;  and  he  was 
courteous  enough  to  take  me  over  to  the  theater  where  he  worked  it 
for  me  a  number  of  times  at  close  range.  He  also  presented  me 
with  one  of  the  portraits  as  a  souvenir. 

He  told  me  that  he  had  contracted  with  Dr.  Wilmar  to  produce 
it  on  the  stage,  and  to  pay  for  such  rights  enormous  royalties.  He 
said  that  Dr.  Wilmar  claimed  to  be  the  originator  of  the  idea,  and 
when  I  showed  him  the  letters  of  this  gentleman,  stated  that  this 
was  his  first  knowledge  of  where  the  doctor  had  obtained  the  secret. 
He  asked  me  to  keep  the  secret  private  for  a  time,  as  he  had  invested 
heavily  in  the  act,  and  as  an  exposure  at  that  time  would  cause  him 
heavy  financial  loss.  I  promised  him  to  do  so.  He  continued  to 
produce  the  illusion  in  the  name  of  Wilmar,  and  I  have  lately  seen 
a  letter  wherein  he  stated,  that  up  to  the  time  of  its  date,  he  had 
paid  over  ten  thousand  dollars  in  royalties  for  the  use  of  this  illusion, 
and  which  he  said,  according  to  his  information,  was  the  highest 
price  ever  paid  for  a  single  illusion.  Since  the  above  date,  Mr. 
Selbit  has  visited  me  and  he  stated  that  the  royalties  he  has  paid, 
now  aggregate  about  twelve  thousand  dollars.  He  said  he  would 
furnish  me  with  the  dates  and  amounts  of  his  payments. 

Spirit  portraits  can  now  be  produced  in  vaudeville  all  over  the 
world,  and  will  materialize  between  canvases  that  are  selected  from 
a  number  of  clean  ones  by  the  audience,  just  as  has  been  done  in  the 
private  seance  for  a  number  of  years  by  two  of  the  greatest  mediums 
the  world  has  known. 

A  number  of  large,  clean,  white,  unprepared  canvases  are  on 
the  stage.  A  genuine  committee  is  invited  up.  They  select  the  can- 
vases that  are  to  be  used.  These  are  faced  together  before  every 
one,  and  placed  in  a  nice  gilt  frame,  which  is  then  stood  upon  an 
easel.  The  committee  is  allowed  to  pass  all  around  this  easel,  at  any 
time  before  the  frame  is  set  upon  it  or  afterwards  during  the  mate- 
rializing. They  are  also  permitted  to  examine  it  and  the  frame  thor- 
oughly. The  body  of  the  easel  is  some  two  feet  above  the  floor, 
and  the  legs  of  the  committeemen  can  be  seen  beneath  it  when  they 
pass  behind.  A  large  arc  light  is  placed  just  back  of  the  canvases, 
and  they  are  iluminated  a  most  beautiful  white.  The  performer 
then  places  his  arm  and  hand  behind  the  canvases  and  they  are  dis- 
tinctly seen  through  them.  The  committee  now  selects  the  name  of 
the  portrait  desired  from  a  list  of  some  forty  which  are  printed  on 
a  screen. 

Soon  the  shadows  begin  to  appear  around  the  margin,  then 
comes  the  rosy  glow  like  sunrise  in  the  center.    Later,  the  eyes  grad- 


10  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

ually  appear  as  dark  rings,  and  the  outlines  of  the  mouth,  nose,  and 
head  appear.  The  background  is  at  the  same  time  working  in  most 
beautifully ;  and,  lastly,  the  eyes  open,  and  lacework  appears  around 
the  neck, — if  the  portrait  asked  for  requires  it.  The  canvases  are 
now  taken  down,  and  the  beautiful,  finished  picture,  about  forty  by 
fifty  inches,  is  passed  down  the  aisle.  The  act  is  then  repeated,  and 
at  any  time  one  requests  it,  the  light  is  turned  ofT  to  show  that  the 
picture  develops  independently  of  the  light.  The  committeemen  can 
pass  all  around  the  canvases  during  the  materialization,  and  can  be 
within  two  feet  of  them. 

There  surely  could  not  be  two  principles  in  nature,  that  would 
produce  exactly  the  same  results,  in  a  case  of  this  kind,  although 
those  who  do  not  understand  the  secret  cannot  of  course  fully  realize 
this  as  I  do.  For  myself  I  am  confident  that  the  famous  secret  has 
at  last  been  discovered,  and  I  feel  gratified  that  I  was  able  to  work  it 
out  from  a  mere  description  of  the  act  without  ever  seeing  the  thing 
done. 

Selbit  related  to  me  that  the  night  King  Edward  died  he  was 
producing  a  spirit  portrait  of  him,  and  that  the  audience  went  wild 
with  enthusiasm,  the  orchestra  played  "God  save  the  King,"  and  the 
demonstration  lasted  twenty  minutes.     This  was  in  London. 

I  was  refraining  from  publishing  the  secret  of  this  act,  at  the 
request  of  Dr.  Wilmar,  but  as  he  put  the  act  on  the  vaudeville  stage 
without  notice  to  me,  I  feel  released  from  further  obligation  to  him 
to  keep  the  matter  secret. 


Mr.  Selbit  having  long  since  finished  his  tour,  and  Mr.  Thurston, 
who  holds  his  rights  directly  from  me,  having  graciously  consented, 
I  shall  now  proceed  to  relate  the  history  of  my  discovery,  and  to 
explain  the  long-sought  secret. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  my  early  reports  but  one  canvas 
was  said  to  be  used,  and  this  was  set  in  a  window ;  but  as  soon  as 
I  learned  that  two  canvases  were  used  and  faced  together,  I  knew 
that  a  spray  developer  could  not  be  employed,  and  I  began  to  search 
for  some  other  means.  I  first  devised  an  elaborate  system  of  pro- 
jection and  window  traps  upwards  and  downwards,  with  concealed 
assistants  above  and  below,  etc.,  by  which  the  eflfects  might  be  dupli- 
cated. I  had  Mr.  Eldredge  examine  the  building  used  in  Kansas 
City,  and  he  found  it  to  be  solid  brick  with  no  chance  for  window 
traps  and  no  chance  for  assistants  above  or  below  to  give  any  help. 
So  I  knew  that  this  could  not  be  the  principle. 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  11 

Mr.  Rasgorshek,  who  has  had  much  experience  with  mediums, 
kept  insisting  that  I  would  find  it  to  be  some  simple  thing  that  re- 
quired no  apparatus,  and  that  I  surely  would  find  a  substitution 
somewhere.  He  often  said:  "Abbott,  mediums  do  not  dare  use 
apparatus,  for  the  danger  is  too  great.  It  must  be  something  so 
simple  that  if  a  sitter  'grabs,'  nothing  can  be  found  to  use  as  evi- 
dence." 

I  also  knew  that  in  tricks  every  little  thing  is  for  a  purpose, 
and  that  nothing  superfluous  is  used  when  the  art. is  perfect.  I 
analyzed  and  re-analyzed  the  problem,  and  I  decided  that  there  was 
certainly  a  good  reason  for  using  two  canvases.  Why  did  the 
mediums  invariably  use  two  faced  together?  Surely  it  would  be 
much  more  simple  as  well  as  conclusive  if  but  one  were  used.  Also, 
if  it  were  possible  to  produce  a  portrait  when  using  but  one,  we 
certainly  would  hear  of  their  doing  it  that  way  sometimes.  Yes, 
there  was  a  reason  for  using  two  canvases ;  and  it  surely  was  merely 
to  have  the  front  one  conceal  from  the  sitter  what  happened  to  the 
one  behind  it.  When  both  were  in  position  in  the  window,  and  the 
side  and  upper  curtains  drawn  and  pinned  to  the  front  frame,  any- 
thing could  happen  to  the  rear  canvas  and  the  sitter  would  know 
nothing  of  it.  Again,  there  must  be  a  reason  for  laying  the  can- 
vases over  on  the  table  and  covering  them  with  a  third  canvas  under 
pretense  of  "setting  the  colors."  What  could  be  the  real  reason  of 
this?  It  will  be  seen  later  why  this  is.  I  was  entirely  satisfied  that 
a  painting  was  made  in  advance;  and  that  somewhere  before  deliv- 
ery of  the  portrait  at  the  close  of  the  seance,  it  was  substituted  or 
introduced  in  some  way.  I  knew  that  in  magic,  substitutions  always 
take  place  early  in  the  performance — much  earlier  than  one  imagines 
— and  hence  the  real  trick  is  always  executed  sooner  than  is  thought. 

Now,  evidently  the  portrait  was  really  produced  on  the  rear 
canvas,  and  it  surely  was  in  the  window  at  the  time  the  two  were 
laid  over  on  the  table.  So  it  must  have  been  substituted  before 
this  time.  Then  it  must  really  have  been  in  the  window  during 
the  entire  coming  and  going  effects.  Laying  them  over  on  the  table 
would  bring  it  on  top  to  be  handed  out  first.  How  did  it  get  in  the 
window,  and  above  all,  hoiv  was  it  made  to  appear  and  disappear  at 
will?  Window  traps  permitting  substitutions  being  impossible,  and 
projection  ideas  and  developers  being  out  of  the  question,  what  subtle 
principle  could  here  be  involved?  The  more  I  thought,  the  greater 
the  mystery  became;  and  I  finally  decided  that  to  take  the  advice 
of  my  friend.  Mr.  Rasgorshek,  and  experiment,  was  the  only  thing 
to  do.    I  secured  a  portrait  and  a  blank  canvas,  and  as  I  had  heard 


12  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

rumors  that  a  graduated  silk  gauze  screen  was  secretly  introduced 
gradually  between  the  canvases  for  screening  off  the  portrait,  T  de- 
cided to  try  this.  I  made  a  rectangular  frame  that  was  only  one- 
eighth  of  an  inch  thick  and  placed  on  it  rollers  and  a  windlass,  so 
that  I  could  reel  up  many  thicknesses  of  silk  on  it.  This  I  placed 
between  the  two  canvases  in  the  window  and  began  reeling.  I  did 
not  decide  where  I  would  conceal  my  assistant,  or  how  get  rid  of  the 
frame  or  substitute  the  portrait ;  I  simply  wanted  to  discover  how  to 
materialize  and  dematerialize  the  latter. 

I  found  that  by  reeling  up  many  thicknesses  of  silk  the  portrait 
was  gradually  cut  off :  but  that  the  canvases  were  at  the  same  time 
darkened  so  that  their  beautiful  transparency  was  ruined.  I  saw 
that  this  could  not  be  the  secret,  for  the  light  had  to  be  entirely 
screened  out  before  the  portrait  utterly  disappeared.  As  long  as 
there  w^as  any  light  the  portrait  was  visible.  I  next  unreeled  the 
silk  and  I  found  that  the  portrait  was  indistinct  even  when  it  was 
all  withdrawn — that  it  appeared  "out  of  focus"  as  it  were.  I  then 
removed  the  frame  from  betw^een  the  canvases  and  crowded  them 
closer  together ;  and  the  portrait,  viewed  from  the  front  through  the 
blank  canvas,  immediately  became  clear  and  sharp.  I  again  moved 
the  portrait  backward,  viewing  it  through  the  front  one.  It  grew 
indistinct,  more  and  more  "out  of  focus,"  until  it  became  an  indis- 
tinct cloud,  then  merely  some  dim  shadows ;  and  finally  it  vanished 
utterly  leaving  the  canvas  clear  and  white.  I  brought  it  forward 
slowly,  and  it  gradually  made  its  appearance,  the  dark  lines  first 
appearing,  then  the  rosy  glow  at  the  center ;  and  finally  the  features 
began  to  form ;  and  at  last  the  eyes  changed  from  dark  shadowy 
rings,  to  open,  bright  eyes. 

I  looked  on  in  awe.  Here  was  the  very  thing  for  \vhich  I  was 
searching,  and  without  screen  of  graduated  gauze,  or  apparatus. 
Here  was  the  long-sought  subtle  principle,  the  famous  secret  that 
had  baffied  scientists  and  the  investigators  of  the  world ;  and  it  was 
a  thing  so  simple  that  it  staggered  me.  When  the  canvases  were 
separated,  the  rays  of  light  passing  through  the  portrait  began  to 
diverge  and  spread  evenly  over  the  blank  canvas,  until,  as  the  dis- 
tance was  sufficiently  increased  between  them,  the  illumination  be- 
came evenly  diffused  over  it.  This  distance  was  about  three  inches. 
At  the  same  time,  as  the  canvases  were  separated,  side  light  was 
being  admitted  between  them  which  helped  to  illuminate  the  front 
canvas  evenly,  and  to  obscure  the  portrait.  The  greatest  portion  of 
the  effects  were  within  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch,  and  nearly 
all  of  them  within  a  half-inch. 


THE  SPIRIT  rORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  13 

So,  to  precipitate  a  portrait  and  erase  it,  it  was  but  necessary 
for  the  two  psychics  at  each  side  to  move  slowly — very  slowly  in- 
deed— the  rear  canvas  forward  and  backward  with  the  most  steady 
and  slightest  motion  possible.  This  was  easily  done  with  the  fingers 
through  the  slit  in  the  soft  side  curtains ;  and  were  any  one  to  violate 
all  rules  and  "grab,"  he  would  only  find  a  portrait  "just  about  fin- 
ished by  the  spirits."  An  ideal  scheme,  just  such  as  mediums  would 
use! 

This  principle,  then,  would  account  for  the  materializing  and 
dematerializing  of  the  portrait  at  will ;  but  it  necessitated  a  substitu- 
tion early  in  the  sitting,  just  as  most  magic  tricks  require.  Naturally 
a  substitution  for  professionals  is  an  easy  matter;  but  for  non-per- 
formers it  seems  a  great  difficulty.  Now  suppose  the  portrait  really 
made  and  finished  in  advance  of  the  sitting,  how  was  it  gotten  into 
the  window  behind  the  blank?  It  will  be  remembered  that  after  the 
selection  and  thorough  examination  of  the  two  blanks,  they  were 
faced  together  and  placed  by  a  table  near  the  window,  from  where 
later  on  the  third  blank  or  cover  canvas  was  lifted.  Meanwhile  one 
of  the  two  mediums  removed  the  discarded  blanks  from  the  wall, 
taking  them  out  of  the  room. 

Now  the  mediums  undoubtedly  use  various  means  for  making 
this  substitution,  varying  them  to  suit  the  occasion.  But  I  think  that 
in  most  cases  they  have  the  finished  portrait  in  the  room  all  of  the 
time.  It  could  be  left  standing  on  the  far  side  of  the  table  from 
where  the  sitter  enters  the  room,  and  could  be  leaned  with  its  face 
against  the  wall,  or  more  probably  facing  into  the  room.  If  the  soft 
black  side  curtains  reach  the  floor,  one  of  them  can  cover  the  portrait 
completely ;  so  that  should  the  sitter  happen  to  get  in  a  position  to 
look  on  that  side  of  the  table,  he  could  see  nothing.  In  this  case, 
one  of  the  mediums  would  take  the  two  chosen  canvases  and  carry 
them  over  to  that  side  of  the  table,  and  stand  them  on  the  floor  in 
front  of  the  portrait.  Now,  while  the  other  medium  seats  the  sitter 
at  the  end  of  the  table  in  front  of  the  window,  the  first  one  has  but 
to  lift  into  position  on  the  table,  the  front  blank  and  the  rear  canvas 
with  portrait,  leaving  the  discarded  blank  on  the  floor  to  be  used  for 
the  cover  canvas  later.  I  think  this  method,  being  the  simplest,  is 
oftenest  used ;  but  more  complicated  means  may  be  employed  at 
times.  For  instance,  the  medium  who  carries  out  the  discarded 
blanks  may  bring  the  portrait  back  unobserved  when  she  reenters. 

Here  is  how  I  should  do  it  if  I  were  a  lady  medium.  I  should 
wear  a  skirt  that  was  really  open  in  front  but  lapped  over  in  a  fold ; 
and  I  should  suspend  the  portrait  on  a  hanger  between  my  legs  under 


14  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

my  skirt.  If  I  were  quite  large  I  could  carry  a  good-sized  portrait 
here  unobserved  by  all.  Of  course  it  would  not  have  to  be  in  this 
particular  position,  and  in  fact  could  be  hung  on  the  outside  of  the 
skirt,  if  the  medium  keeps  that  side  away  from  the  sitters.  But 
under  the  skirt  would  be  much  safer ;  and  I  have  always  found  that 
female  mediums  do  not  hesitate  to  take  advantage  of  their  sex  and 
the  sacredness  of  their  skirts,  to  cover  deception. 

As  the  medium  returns  from  carrying  out  the  blanks  and  ad- 
vances to  the  window  to  lift  up  the  two  blanks  and  place  them  in 
front  of  it,  her  person  hides  them  from  view  and  her  back  is  toward 
the  sitter.  She  now  has  but  to  draw  out  in  front,  from  under  her 
skirt,  the  real  portrait;  and  this  move  is  invisible  to  the  sitter,  as 
will  also  be  the  act  of  bringing  it  behind  one  of  the  blanks ;  and  then 
she  visibly  lifts  both  to  the  window  while  her  person  hides  the  dis- 
carded blank  that  will  later  on  be  used  for  a  cover  canvas.  Since 
the  portrait  behind  the  blank  is  hidden  by  the  latter  from  the  view 
of  the  sitter,  the  deception  can  not  be  discovered.  The  blanks  have 
been  examined  so  thoroughly  by  the  sitters  that  they  are  tired  of 
examining  them,  and  are  really  ashamed  to  exhibit  further  incredul- 
ity. So  the  psychics,  acting  simultaneously,  pin  the  soft  black  cur- 
tains at  the  side  of  the  window  to  the  front  frame,  and  at  the  same 
time  allow  the  back  canvas  to  tilt  back  out  of  focus.  The  top  cur- 
tain, still  being  very  high,  lets  so  much  light  into  the  room,  that  it 
helps  to  obscure  what  comes  through  the  canvases,  when  the  two 
are  separated  but  an  inch.  But  before  the  top  curtain  is  drawn, 
completely  darkening  the  room,  the  portrait  must  be  moved  or  tilted 
further  back.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  bottoms  of  the  can- 
vases stand  on  a  table  end  directly  in  front  of  a  window,  with  a 
psychic  at  each  side  holding  the  canvases  and  discoursing  and  ges- 
ticulating, so  as  to  take  and  direct  the  attention  where  desired.  The 
sitter  sits  in  front  of  the  end  of  the  table  facing  the  window  and 
canvases,  and  the  person  of  one  of  the  mediums  is  between  him  and 
the  third  or  discarded  cover  canvas  on  the  floor  near  the  window. 
The  sitter  naturally  thinks  that  his  two  chosen  blanks  are  now  in  the 
window,  and  he  seems  to  be  seeing  right  through  them  and  they 
appear  clear  and  white.  He  does  not  dream  that  his  portrait,  all 
finished,  is  already  in  the  window  behind  the  front  canvas,  but 
merely  moved  back  out  of  focus. 

The  psychics  have  previously  watched  with  sharpest  eyes  for 
any  marking  of  canvases,  and  the  one  bringing  in  the  portrait  has 
a  chance  when  out  of  the  room  to  duplicate  the  markings.  Or,  if 
the  portrait  be  already  in  the  room,  then  one  medium  must  divert 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  15 

the  sitter's  attention  by  a  slate  test  or  otherwise,  until  the  other 
medium  gets  the  portrait  marked.  As  to  the  sitter  buying  his  own 
canvas,  as  often  reported,  it  is  remarkable  that  the  ones  so  bought 
correspond  exactly  with  the  ones  furnished  by  the  mediums,  even  to 
the  number  of  threads  per  inch  in  the  cloth  and  the  thickness  of 
same,  etc.  Queer,  isn't  it?  Dr.  Wilmar  had  the  canvases  of  two 
thoroughly  examined  in  this  manner.  One  was  supplied  by  the 
psychics  and  the  other  the  sitter  claimed  to  have  bought  down  town ; 
but  they  corresponded  as  above  described. 

Next,  everything  being  in  readiness,  the  psychics  have  but  to 
manipulate  the  rear  canvas  very  slowly  to  get  the  effects.  Mean- 
while they  skilfully  employ  suggestion  announcing  in  advance  each 
effect  as  it  is  to  appear.  The  eyes  seem  to  be  dark  blurs  until  the 
tops  of  the  canvases  are  crowded  together  very  closely,  whereupon 
they  appear  to  open.  That  is,  the  dark  blurs  dissolve  into  open 
eyes,  giving  them  the  appearance  of  opening  out.  This  is  particu- 
larly apparent  when  the  eyes  are  colored  a  beautiful  sky-blue.  The 
use  of  suggestion  before  this  effect,  by  the  psychics  announcing  that 
"the  eyes  will  now  open,"  impresses  this  effect  upon  the  sitter's  mind. 
By  crowding  together  the  top  of  the  canvases  first,  the  eyes  open 
when  the  shoulders  are  still  indistinct  enough  to  appear  indefinite 
or  bare — that  is,  mere  dark  outlines.  As  the  majority  of  the  effects 
appear  the  last  quarter  of  an  inch,  and  nearly  all  of  them  in  the  last 
half-inch,  if  it  be  remembered  that  four  or  five  minutes  are  used  in 
this  amount  of  motion,  one  can  realize  how  very  slowly  the  rear 
canvas  must  approach  the  front  one.  Also  the  use  of  so  much  time 
greatly  adds  to  the  effect  when  a  miracle  is  supposed  to  be  in  the 
act  of  performance.  The  psychics  seem  to  be  trying  so  hard  to  hurry 
it  up,  and  the  stress  of  desire  is  so  great,  that  the  slowness  of  pro- 
duction produces  the  effect  on  the  sitter's  mind  of  great  effort  on 
the  part  of  the  spirits. 

After  the  eyes  open,  if  one  psychic  crowds  up  the  bottom  of  the 
canvas  on  her  side,  the  lace  work  will  begin  to  form  on  her  side 
and  the  beads,  etc.,  to  appear.  Then  if  the  other  psychic  slowly 
crowds  up  the  bottom  on  her  side,  this  causes  the  lace  work  to  finish 
and  the  beads  to  come  one  at  a  time.  There  is  also  an  apparent 
change  of  color  as  each  object  takes  on  clear-cut  detail.  Naturally 
during  this  movement  the  background  is  working  in  most  beauti- 
fully like  waves  of  light,  etc.  The  changes  of  color  are,  however,  to 
a  certain  extent  imagination ;  and  this  occurs  easily  among  so  many 
confusing  details  all  coming  at  the  same  time.  The  hair  ornament 
can  be  made  to  appear  by  skilfully  pulling  off  a  patch  on  the  back 


■«v 


16  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRi\.IT   MYSTERY. 

of  the  portrait  which  has  been  stuck  on  with  wax  and  with  a  thread 
attached,  but  I  hardly  think  this  necessary.  The  choice  is  un- 
doubtedly "forced"  by  suggestion ;  and  if  this  occurs  early  in  the 
performance,  before  the  ornament  appears,  the  psychics  can  an- 
nounce its  appearance  when  the  right  time  arrives  and  thus  produce 
that  effect.  For  instance,  one  psychic  would  say  to  the  other,  "She 
ought  to  have  a  hair  ornament.  I  think  a  crescent  would  be  beauti- 
ful, don't  you?  Or  would  a  star,  or  crown,  be  better?"  The  other 
would  say,  "Oh,  it  should  be  a  crescent  by  all  means ;  for  I  think 
a  crown  or  star  would  be  out  of  place  and  not  at  all  artistic.    Which 

do  you  think  would  be  best,  Mr ?"    Naturally  he  would  choose 

a  crescent,  and  would  afterwards  think  he  had  free  choice.  Should 
he  choose  a  crown  or  a  star,  it  would  only  be  necessary  to  explain 
to  him  that  a  crescent  is  much  more  artistic,  and  he  would  be  sure 
to  yield  to  "superior  persons  who  wield  supernatural  powers." 

The  effects  of  narrowing  the  visage,  or  of  slightly  turning  it, 
or  of  altering  the  lines  of  the  nose  or  mouth  slightly,  can  be  ap- 
parently effected  by  a  slight  jostling  of  the  rear  canvas  and  the  use 
of  suggestion  at  the  time.  Thus,  if  the  sitter  request  the  visage  to 
narrow,  the  psychic  can  say  "all  right,"  and  at  that  instant  cause 
the  portrait  behind  to  move  sidewise  the  slightest  amount.  The 
sitter  will  see  the  portrait  move,  and  construe  it  to  be  a  slight  narrow- 
ing, for  the  vision  being  at  the  time  concentrated  on  the  point  in 
question,  will  see  only  its  movement.  The  same  will  apply  to  the 
lines  of  the  nose  or  mouth.  Also,  at  any  time,  a  slightly  tighter 
crowding  of  the  canvases  so  as  to  make  any  feature  come  out 
brighter  and  clearer,  coupled  with  suggestion,  will  carry  the  effect 
of  an  alteration  of  the  portrait  in  response  to  the  sitter's  request. 
All  of  this  is  the  real  art  of  the  performance,  and  what  makes  it 
"strong."  It  is  not  what  you  do,  but  how  you  do  it.  The  strong 
way  this  has  been  dressed  up  and  presented  to  believers,  is  the  secret 
of  the  marvel  and  has  made  it  what  it  is.  The  principle  alone  was 
not  so  much,  but  embellished  with  this  incomparable  art  of  presen- 
tation, it  has  been  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world. 

Any  time  that  the  sitter  expresses  dissatisfaction  with  a  por- 
trait, the  psychics  say,  "All  right,  the  spirit  artist  will  erase  it,"  and 
instantly  it  begins  to  fade  from  the  canvas.  They  slowly  recede  the 
rear  canvas  until  every  vestige  of  the  portrait  is  gone,  and  then 
again  slowly  materialize  it. 

From  all  I  can  learn,  all  of  the  objections  offered  by  the  sitters 
are  invariably  at  the  psychics'  request,  which  shows  they  are  the 
result  of  suggestion.     Mr.  Eldredge  in  a  letter  said :  "The  psychics 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  17 

kept  insisting  that  we  ask  for  changes  in  the  portrait,  and  seemed 
very  anxious  to  please  us  in  every  detail."  The  psychics  cause  the 
sitters  to  think  certain  things  should  be  changed,  and  then  apparently 
make  the  change.  The  sitter  thus  thinks  every  detail  was  altered 
to  suit  his  will.  As  an  example :  One  fine  portrait  of  a  beautiful  girl 
was  produced  for  a  wealthy  farmer  of  my  acquaintance.  It  was 
supposed  to  be  his  daughter,  now  twenty  years  old  in  the  spirit 
world,  but  who  died  when  but  two.  He  said:  "When  the  portrait 
started  to  come,  the  hair  seemed  to  be  'done  up  on  a  rat' ;  and  I  said, 
'Hold  on !  I  don't  want  the  hair  like  that,'  and  immediately  it  faded 
out."  Now  I  saw  this  portrait,  and  the  hair  was  hanging  over  the 
shoulders  in  the  most  beautiful  and  artistic  golden  ringlets  and  curls  ; 
but  the  top  of  the  head  with  the  hair  thereon  was  much  more  deeply 
colored,  or  rather  covered  with  the  paints ;  as  these  portions  of  the 
picture  must  be  heaviest.  As  a  result  they  appeared  as  dark  shadows 
before  the  curls  were  visible,  and  the  mediums  had  but  to  say:  "Do 
you  like  the  hair  that  way  ?  It  seems  to  be  coming  done  up  on  a  rat ;" 
and  naturally  he  would  say  "no."  If  not,  they  would  advise  him  to 
change  it,  but  there  would  be  no  trouble  in  getting  him  to  take  the 
suggestion ;  and  then  the  psychics  would  fade  the  portrait  and  cause 
it  to  reappear,  with  the  beautiful  curls  coming  out  as  it  progressed. 
Naturally  the  old  gentleman  thinks  the  portrait  was  actually  changed 
at  his  request.  Thus  the  reader  can  see  how  adroit  are  these  psychics 
at  the  art  of  suggestion.  They  always  manage  to  change  a  portrait 
to  some  form  more  beautiful  and  artistic,  knowing  a  suggestion 
will  be  readily  taken  that  way.  They  never  attempt,  for  instance, 
to  change  beautiful  ringlets  and  curls  to  an  old-fashioned  mode  of 
dressing  the  hair. 

When  the  portrait  is  finished,  naturally  the  extra  canvas  would 
be  discovered  and  would  arouse  suspicion.  But  if  one  of  the  me- 
diums lifts  it  for  a  cover,  as  if  it  had  been  there  all  along  for  this 
especial  purpose,  its  existence  is  thought  nothing  of,  and  hence  it 
does  not  have  to  be  "got  rid  of."  Of  course  every  one  could  not 
put  this  act  on  in  so  "strong"  a  manner;  but  ladies  with  plenty  of 
"nerve"  and  years  of  experience  and  practice,  coupled  with  a  natural 
aptitude  for  such  work,  can  do  so.  It  must  be  remembered  that  sus- 
picious persons  get  no  portrait.  Witness  Carrington  who  was  sent 
by  Dr.  Funk,  and  who  tried  for  hours  with  no  success.  The  ability 
to  choose  whom  to  work  for,  is  part  of  the  art  of  the  psychic.  This 
is  why  some  of  them  are  so  successful  for  so  many  years.  They  are 
so  cunning  at  judging  the  dispositions  and  mental  characteristics  of 


18  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

persons  that  they  make  no  mistake,  and  only  get  results  for  persons 
whom  they  are  sure  they  can  "handle." 

Readers  may  doubt  the  possibility  of  this  great  effect  by  such 
simple  means.  Let  them  try  it  with  good  light,  and  nicely  colored 
portraits  on  transparent  canvases.  If  still  in  doubt,  I  will  wager 
that  if  anyone  who  is  not  under  the  ban  of  suspicion,  goes  for  a 
portrait  and  suddenly  grabs  the  canvases  as  soon  as  placed  in  the 
window,  he  will  find  the  finished  portrait  in  the  rear,  right  on  the 
start. 

An  observer  trying  to  catch  the  psychics  would  doubtless  (if  he 
took  notice)  see  no  third,  or  cover  canvas,  near  the  window  before 
the  lifting  of  the  two  to  the  window  by  one  of  the  mediums ;  but 
should  they  see  him  directing  his  attention  there  he  would  be  under 
the  ban  of  suspicion  at  once,  and  might  get  no  portrait.  The  psychics 
control  the  situation,  and  their  task  is  to  see  that  the  sitter  does 
right,  and  that  his  attention  is  constantly  taken  and  concentrated ; 
and  they  are  both  talking  and  gesticulating  so  as  to  take  it.  If  they 
observe  that  the  sitter  is  not  giving  attention  where  they  direct,  but 
looking  elsewhere,  "where  he  has  no  business  to,"  then  look  out. 
They  will  immediately  be  suspicious  and  something  may  happen. 

Of  course  it  is  unnecessary  to  explain  how  the  photograph  can 
be  extracted  from  slates,  or  from  pockets  of  coats  which  were  left 
out  in  the  hall,  etc.,  so  as  to  enable  the  mediums  to  get  a  "snap  shot" 
of  it.  Any  one  reading  the  many  slate  tricks  in  my  book  will  not 
need  further  enlightenment  on  this  point.  Where  a  portrait  con- 
forms to  a  photograph,  an  interval  of  a  day  or  so  is  taken  after  the 
first  sitting,  before  the  psychics  will  give  the  portrait  sitting.  If 
forced  to  try  for  a  portrait  at  once  no  results  will  be  obtained,  and  it 
will  have  to  be  tried  again  later.  This  gives  them  time  to  make  the 
portrait. 

Probably  it  might  be  well  for  me  to  give  some  extracts  from 
a  very  accurate  report  I  have  of  a  sitting  which  took  place  in  the 
year  1909,  and  which  shows  the  nature  of  this  part  of  their  work 
very  well.  The  gentleman  making  this  report  seems  very  intelligent, 
and  the  report  is  remarkably  accurate  for  a  non-performer.  He 
seems  to  have  remembered  a  large  portion  of  the  details  very  well, 
and  to  have  forgotten  but  little  which  would  at  the  time  have  seemed 
to  him  to  be  unimportant.    Here  is  part  of  this  report. 

"Jack  went  in  first,  and  when  he  came  out  just  before  I  went  in, 
he  remarked  to  me  that  he  would  like  to  have  a  portrait.  He  said 
that  the  artist  had  told  him  that  it  would  be  better  for  the  party  who 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  19 

sat  for  the  portrait  to  have  a  picture  of  the  subject  on  his  person* 
and  handed  me  his  watch,  on  the  lid  of  which  was  an  etching  of  his 
wife's  face.  I  put  it  in  my  pocket  and  went  into  the  room.  After 
I  had  received  my  letter  from  the  slate,  the  artist  remarked  to  me 
that  Jack  wanted  to  have  a  picture  made  of  Minnie,  I  said,  'Very 
well,  I  will  sit  for  it.'  She  asked  me  whether  I  had  a  picture  of 
Minnie  on  my  person.  I  said,  'yes.'  She  called  her  sister,  and  they 
produced  two  framed  canvases,  which  they  placed  face  to  face  and 
set  up  before  me,  placing  them  on  a  table  close  to  a  window.  They 
pulled  the  window  shade  down  to  the  top  of  the  canvas  and  draped 
the  curtains  along  the  two  sides  of  the  two  canvases,  and  one  sitting 
on  one  side  and  the  other  on  the  other  at  the  two  ends  of  the  table, 
they  held  the  canvases  together  while  I  in  front  of  the  table  waited 
for  developments.  Some  shading  presently  appeared  on  the  canvases 
but  nothing  satisfactory  resulted.  While  one  of  the  artists  left  the 
room  for  a  few  minutes,  leaving  the  canvases  in  their  positions  on 
the  table,  the  artist  who  remained  again  said,  'You  have  a  picture, 
have  you?'  I  said,  'Yes.'  She  said,  'What  is  it?'  I  said,  'It  is  an 
etching  on  the  lid  of  a  watch.'  She  said,  'Let  me  see  the  watch.' 
I  handed  it  to  her  without  opening  it.  She  took  it  in  her  hands  a 
moment,  but  did  not  open  it.  She  put  it  in  an  envelope,  and  sealed 
the  envelope,  and  placed  the  latter  with  the  picture  in  it  between  the 
slates;  and  she  and  I  held  the  slates  pressed  together  for  a  few 
moments.  Still  nothing  resulted  on  the  canvas.  We  then  opened  the 
slates  and  she  handed  me  the  envelope  containing  the  watch  which  I 
took  from  it  and  returned  to  my  pocket.  I  do  not  see  how  it  is 
possible  that  she  could  have  seen  the  etching,  and  it  would  be  almost 
impossible  to  convince  me  that  the  watch  left  the  room  even  for  a 
moment.  I  sat  a  little  while  longer  before  the  canvases,  but  nothing 
resulted.  I  left  the  studio.  When  I  reached  the  hotel  that  evening 
I  returned  the  watch  to  Jack.  So  much  for  the  first  day.  I  returned 
to  the  studio  the  next  afternoon,  etc.,  etc." 

This  reminds  me  of  a  lady  in  South  Omaha  who  a  few  years 
ago  allowed  a  medium  to  seal  two  thousand  dollars  of  her  money 
in  an  envelope  in  her  presence.  He  handed  it  to  her  without  its 
leaving  her  sight,  and  she  wore  it  on  her  person  for  thirty  days. 
This  woman  insisted  that  nothing  could  convince  her  that  this  money 
left  her  sight ;  yet  when  friends  induced  her  to  open  the  envelope 
nothing  but  pieces  of  paper  were  found  in  it.  The  police  of  Omaha 
are  still  looking  for  the  medium,  but  he  has  dematerialized.  This 
lady  believed  in  the  spiritualist  philosophy  that  "like  attracts  like" ; 
*  Italics  in  all  these  reports  are  the  author's. 


20  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

and  the  medium  had  no  trouble  in  convincing  her  that  our  wealthy 
men  possess  "the  money  influence  and  that  money  is  attracted  to 
them  because  of  the  vast  sums  they  handle  or  carry  on  their  persons." 
She  was  to  wear  this  money  after  the  medium  magnetized  it  in  order 
to  obtain  this  "money  influence." 

Now  in  the  case  of  the  gentleman  above,  why  did  not  these 
mediums  place  the  watch  between  the  slates  without  sealing  it  in  the 
envelope?  There  could  then  have  been  no  question  but  that  it  was 
between  the  slates.  What  he  saw  was  an  envelope  resembling  the 
one  with  the  watch  in  it  placed  between  them. 

Here  is  how  I  would  make  the  substitution  if  I  were  the  lady 
doing  the  trick.  Just  as  I  dampen  the  flap  of  the  envelope  and  seal 
it,  I  would  leave  it  in  my  left  hand  and  reach  with  my  right  for  the 
slates  on  the  table.  I  would  follow  my  right  hand  with  my  eyes. 
This  is  called  "misdirection."  The  sitter's  eyes  would  involuntarily 
follow  mine,  and  my  right  hand ;  and  during  this  instant  I  would 
allow  my  left  to  drop  below  the  level  of  the  table  top,  and  leave  the 
envelope  with  the  watch  in  my  lap,  and  instantly  withdraw  from  a 
pocket  in  the  fold  of  my  dress,  a  duplicate  envelope  made  up  in  ad- 
vance for  the  purpose.  When  the  medium  went  out  to  call  her  sister 
she  could  easily  explain  to  her,  and  that  sister  could  slip  her  the 
"dummy"  when  she  came  in  to  do  what  in  the  language  of  the  pro- 
fession is  called  the  "stalling"  with  the  canvases,  wherein  the  rear 
blank  was  slipped  sidewise  far  enough  for  its  solid  frame  to  make 
the  shadow  effects  by  the  advancing  and  receding  motions. 

At  the  instant  that  the  right  hand  grasps  the  slates,  the  left 
comes  forward  with  the  "dummy"  and  inserts  it  in  the  slates.  When 
the  time  comes  to  take  out  the  envelope  I  should  remove  it  with  my 
right  hand,  and  ask  the  sitter  to  "see  if  there  is  any  writing  on  the 
slates" ;  and  at  the  instant  he  is  looking  at  the  slates  again  drop  the 
hand  and  change  the  "dummy"  for  the  watch  envelope.  During 
the  holding  of  the  slates  the  canvases  were  evidently  watched  for 
developments,  which  was  simply  "stalling  for  time."  Now  the  other 
sister  could  come  in  and  hold  the  canvases  for  a  short  time,  standing 
close  to  her  sister,  and  finally  leave  the  room  after  secretly  receiving 
the  watch  from  her  hand.  By  coming  in  again  after  photographing 
the  etching,  she  could  return  it  to  her  sister's  lap  in  the  same  way. 
Or  they  might  have  a  small  floor  trap  through  which  the  second 
lady  opening  it,  could  reach  up  and  get  the  watch  and  return  it 
from  below.  In  this  case  she  would  have  overheard  the  conversation 
about  the  watch,  and  would  have  prepared  the  dummy  and  handed  it 
up  without  any  conference  with  her  sister.    Having  this  same  work 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  21 

to  do  SO  much  they  must  have  a  thorough  understanding  of  the 
method  to  be  pursued  in  all  cases.  Of  course  many  methods  can 
be  used  for  these  substitutions,  and  to  tell  the  exact  method  used 
I  should  have  to  see  them  done ;  but  the  matter  is  very  simple  for 
professionals. 

These  mediums  always,  or  nearly  always,  frame  and  pack  a 
portrait  before  delivery.  At  such  times  they  very  frequently  retouch 
it  or  add  some  new  thing  which  the  sitter  afterwards  reports  as  hav- 
ing appeared  on  his  way  home.  I  quote  some  more  of  the  above 
gentleman's  report,  which  illustrates  some  work  of  this  character : 

"We  spent  a  good  deal  of  the  forenoon  sitting  for  my  father's 
picture  without  obtaining  any  result  excepting  some  shading  of  the 

canvases Nothing  however  resulted,  as  I  have  remarked,  during 

the  forenoon  interview ;  so  I  retired  for  lunch  and  came  back  early 
in  the  afternoon  and  went  into  the  studio  and  went  through  the 
same  process  as  on  previous  occasions.  In  twenty  minutes  from  the 
beginning  of  the  afternoon  sitting,  my  father's  face  appeared  upon 
the  canvas ;  and  it  was  indeed  a  most  exact  reproduction  and  con- 
formed more  exactly  to  his  face  in  life  than  even  to  the  photograph. 
During  the  first  part  of  the  afternoon  sitting  the  face  alone  appeared 
on  the  canvas  without  any  background,  neither  did  the  first  result 
reproduce  his  clothing,  simply  his  face  and  beard.  They  then  in  my 
presence  placed  the  picture  in  a  dark  closet  that  opened  off  the  room, 
left  it  there  a  few  minutes  and  brought  it  out,  at  which  time  all  the 
background  was  completed,  as  well  as  the  clothing.  They  then  had 
the  portrait  framed. 

"I  was  so  profoundly  impressed  with  this  result  that  I  acceded 
to  their  request  to  sit  for  a  picture  of  my  daughter  which  was  made 
in  the  course  of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes.  They  remarked  to  me 
before  framing  and  packing  the  portrait  that  the  work  would  be 
retouched  by  the  mysterious  artists  who  were  doing  the  work,  after 
leaving  the  studio.  The  lady  who  accompanied  me  told  me,  in  the 
absence  of  the  artists  from  the  room,  that  she  was  making  a  very 
careful  study  of  the  face  so  as  to  be  able  to  detect  any  changes.  The 
picture  was  then  framed  and  I  carried  the  two  with  me  to  the  hotel. 
On  opening,  the  lady  remarked  that  there  had  been  a  change,  viz., 
that  the  hair  falling  back  over  the  shoulders  had  been  curled.  I  could 
not  corroborate  this  point ;  and  if  I  could  it  zvould  not  be  very  satis- 
factory. As  you  know,  I  had  no  picture  of  my  daughter  ivho  died 
in  her  early  infancy.  All  I  can  say  in  regard  to  the  picture  is  that 
it  sustains  a  close  resemblance  to  her  mother's  family.  I  had  it 
inspected  by  a  prominent  scientist,  who  has  lectured  occasionally  for 


22  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

the  purpose  of  exposing  the  work  of  mediums.  When  he  first  saw 
it,  he  asked  me  instantly  whether  there  was  any  pecuHarity  about 
the  eyes  of  my  child,  calling  my  attention  to  the  peculiarity  referred 
to.  My  wife,  on  being  questioned  by  him,  affirmed  that  such  a 
peculiarity  marked  the  eyes  of  more  than  one  member  of  her  family. 

"The  purport  of  some  messages  my  friend  and  I  received  was 
that  my  daughter  was  very  anxious  to  have  me  know  that  she  did 
this  portrait  work  for  me,  or  at  least  her  teacher  did  with  her  help. 

"I  had  at  least  half  a  dozen  interviews  with  as  many  different 
psychics  in  New  York  and  Chicago,  within  a  few  months  after  the 
painting  of  my  daughter  was  made.  It  was  utterly  impossible  that 
I  should  have  been  known  to  these  psychics  or  that  any  one  of  them 
should  have  known  that  I  had  interviewed  any  other  one.  In  every 
case  something  was  said  to  me  about  my  daughter's  painting." 

It  is  quite  evident  that  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  dark  closet 
is  a  second  door  which  permitted  the  sister  or  an  assistant  to  with- 
draw the  portrait  on  that  side,  fill  in  the  background  and  clothes 
and  replace  it.  Professionals  naturally  fix  their  houses  to  suit  the 
work  by  which  they  make  their  livelihood. 

I  have  known  cases  in  Denver  and  elsewhere  when  a  "rounder,' 
as  the  mediums  call  a  believer  who  visits  various  mediums,  was,  in 
the  language  of  the  profession,  "tipped  off"  by  telephone  to  the 
various  brothers  of  the  profession.  Also,  by  adroit  conversation  his 
interest  was  always  aroused  in  some  other  medium  before  leaving 
the  home  of  a  medium  with  whom  he  would  be  finishing  a  sitting. 
This  was  professional  courtesy  on  their  part  to  their  fellows.  These 
stories  were  related  to  me  personally  by  mediums  who  took  part  in 
the  deception. 

Some  very  large  portraits  have  been  made ;  but  from  all  I  can 
learn  these  are  not  made  in  a  window,  but  are  covered  with  a  curtain 
in  some  way.  They  are  made  evidently  for  the  "dead-easies"  only, 
who  have  been  thoroughly  converted  by  small  portrait  production 
in  windows,  and  who  now  merely  want  a  large  portrait  made  and  arc 
willing  to  pay  for  it.  Hence  the  psychics  in  such  cases  can  use  such 
means  as  may  be  required  in  these  larger  productions.  One  of  these 
of  which  I  heard  was  a  very  large  portrait  of  the  "guide"  of  the 
sitter,  who  wanted  his  guide's  portrait  made  large  and  was  not 
bothering  about  the  method  of  production.  An  analysis  of  the  paints 
used  proved  them  to  be  pastels  mixed  in  a  vegetable  fat.  The  can- 
vases are  thin  and  transparent.  Some  of  them  seem  to  have  a  coat- 
ing of  thin  paper  and  the  base  of  some  of  the  paintings  is  a  solar 
print. 


THE  SPIRIT   PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  23 

Readers  may  feel  in  doubt  that  such  a  marvelous  performance  as 
these  mediums  gave  is  effected  by  such  a  simple  principle  as  a  mov- 
ing rear  canvas  which  contains  a  portrait;  but  they  need  only  re- 
member that  this  same  principle  enables  magicians  to  give  stage 
performances  at  big  salaries.  If  it  is  good  enough  for  that,  and 
for  critical  theater  audiences,  it  is  also  capable  of  the  other  use 
when  in  the  hands  of  expert  mediums.  Let  no  one  dispute  this 
fact  until  he  "grabs"  the  canvases  at  the  instant  the  first  shadows 
appear ;  and  then  let  him  say  whether  or  not  a  finished  portrait  was 
at  that  instant  on  the  rear  canvas.  But  the  psychics  take  good  care 
that  they  are  not  grabbed  at  such  a  time ;  for  they  particularly  re- 
marked at  the  Eldredge  sitting,  "If  you  were  to  touch  the  canvases 
now  the  picture  would  instantly  fade  out."  This  gave  them  a  good 
excuse  to  resist  physically  any  attempt  at  touching  or  "grabbing." 
A  bolder  investigator  might  grab  and  search  the  mediums'  persons 
and  canvases  just  as  they  go  to  lift  them  up ;  but  there  would  be  the 
chance  of  this  being  a  case  where  no  portrait  is  to  be  produced. 

For  myself,  I  am  confident  that  I  have  given  the  correct  solution 
of  this  mystery ;  and  although  I  have  never  seen  the  work  personally, 
I  could  hardly  be  more  certain  of  anything  than  I  am  that  I  have 
solved  this  mystery  in  its  principal  details. 

The  mode  of  substitution  may  be  different,  but  substitution  it 
is,  and  that  is  certain ;  and  beyond  any  doubt  the  materializing  and 
dematerializing  is  produced  on  this  principle  of  the  moving  rear  por- 
trait canvas  viewed  through  a  blank  canvas  by  transmitted  light. 
Readers  who  doubt,  and  sitters  who  assert  that  there  is  no  substitu- 
tion, are  cautioned  to  remember  that  in  every  magic  performance 
they  have  ever  seen  there  were  substitutions  right  before  their  eyes 
which  could  not  be  detected.  Remember  how  deftly  the  great  per- 
formers of  the  stage  make  their  substitutions,  and  how  impossible 
they  are  to  discover  except  by  an  expert.  Did  not  Mr.  Eldredge 
assert  in  his  letter  to  me  about  Selbit's  performance,  that  there  was 
no  substitution?  Yet  we  know  there  was  and  I  will  further  on 
show  just  how  it  was  made,  but  it  escaped  the  eyes  of  that  theater 
audience.  That  was  Selbit's  business  ;  and  unless  he  could  make  sub- 
stitutions that  are  indetectable,  he  could  not  successfully  run  the 
business. 

I  turned  to  my  wife  when  I  saw  this  performance  and  told  her 
when  the  substitution  occurred,  because  I  understood  the  trick ;  but 
I  could  not  see  it,  for  it  took  place  in  such  a  way  that  no  one  could. 
I  simply  knew  it  because  it  was  his  only  opportunity.  I  afterward 
proved  I  was  right.    So  let  not  the  believer  think  substitutions  which 


24  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

he  can  not  see  are  impossible  in  his  presence.  The  thing  is,  to  know 
when  and  where  to  look  for  them. 

But  all  believers  in  spiritualism  are  not  ready  to  acknowledge 
the  work  of  their  mediums  to  be  trickery,  even  when  the  trick  is 
thoroughly  explained  to  them.  Frequently  they  will  insist  that  the 
conjurer  uses  one  means  and  the  medium  another  for  producing 
identically  the  same  effect.  They  are  not  all  so  reasonable  as  is  their 
President,  Dr.  George  B.  Warne  of  the  National  Spiritualist  Asso- 
ciation. I  revealed  this  secret  to  him  early  enough  to  enable  him  to 
witness  a  stage  performance  in  Chicago,  and  to  make  it  possible  for 
him  to  follow  every  move  and  trace  the  trickery.  He  said  it  had 
been  very  educational  to  him,  and  had  opened  his  eyes  to  possibilities 
of  which  he  had  never  before  dreamed.  He  said  that  he  felt  it  now 
to  be  the  duty  of  the  mediums  to  admit  the  trickery,  or  else  to  give 
a  test  sitting,  under  conditions  that  would  positively  disprove  the 
fact  that  they  use  the  method  I  have  discovered. 

Now,  in  order  to  assist  in  making  this  conclusive,  I  make  the 
following  offer  to  these  mediums,  good  for  one  year,  and  I  shall 
faithfully  keep  my  obligation:  If  these  mediums  will  produce  a 
portrait  under  the  conditions  given  below,  I  shall  pay  them  the  sum 
of  five  hundred  dollars  for  it,  and  shall  publicly  acknowledge  that 
they  do  not  use  the  means  I  have  published. 

This  portrait  must  be  produced  either  for  me  or  for  any  one 
of  three  others  chosen  by  myself.  I  offer  this,  so  that  if  the  spirit 
artist  shall  refuse  to  paint  for  a  skeptic  like  myself,  there  will  be  an 
opportunity  for  him  to  paint  for  others  w^ho  are  not  so  hard-headed. 
This  portrait  must  be  produced  in  my  home,  or  in  a  room  or  house 
selected  by  myself,  and  prepared  in  advance  under  their  directions 
by  myself,  with  a  suitable  table,  window  curtains,  etc.  I  shall  retain 
the  key  to  this  room,  or  have  my  assistant  remain  in  charge  of  it 
until  their  arrival.  This  is  to  prevent  the  smuggling  in  of  a  portrait 
in  advance.  On  arrival  of  the  mediums,  they  shall  permit  two  ladies, 
chosen  by  myself,  to  examine  their  persons  and  clothing  for  the 
purpose  of  disproving  that  they  bring  any  portrait  or  canvas  with 
them.  This  portrait  shall  be  produced  in  the  day-time  on  one  of  two 
canvases  faced  together  and  stood  in  a  window  as  previously  de- 
scribed. These  canvases  together  with  a  third  one  shall  be  furnished 
by  myself.  I  shall  keep  them  in  my  possession  until  time  to  stand  them 
in  the  window.  I  shall  then  stand  them  there  myself ;  or,  if  I  allow 
the  mediums  to  do  this,  shall  require  the  privilege  of  separating  the 
canvases  when  in  the  window,  at  the  beginning  of  the  sitting,  so  that 
I  can  see  that  no  portrait  has  been  substituted.     The  third  canvas 


THE  SPIRIT   PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  25 

which  I  shall  furnish  must  be  used  for  the  cover  canvas,  if  any  be 
used  for  such  purpose.  The  portrait  is  then  to  be  materialized  upon 
one  of  the  two  canvases  in  the  window,  in  my  presence  and  in  the 
presence  of  at  least  two  others  selected  by  myself  who  shall  have 
been  present  during  the  preparation.  I  do  not  refuse  the  right  of  a 
believer  to  be  present,  if  he  submit  to  the  same  conditions  and  exam- 
ination to  which  the  mediums  are  to  submit. 

The  portrait  produced  must  be  a  reasonable  likeness  of  a  photo- 
graph which  I  shall  have  with  me  at  the  time ;  but  which — if  there 
be  a  requirement  to  place  it  between  slates,  or  to  seal  it  in  an  en- 
velope— I  shall  have  the  privilege  of  sealing  it  myself  and  placing  it 
in  the  slates  and  helping  to  hold  them.  Or,  if  it  be  necessary  for 
the  mediums  to  seal  and  place  this  photograph,  I  require  the  privilege 
of  occupying  any  position  I  desire,  so  that  I  may  satisfy  myself  that 
the  photograph,  envelope,  or  slates  are  not  substituted.  I  require 
both  mediums  to  remain  in  the  room  during  the  entire  sitting ;  and 
if  a  second  sitting  be  necessary,  I  shall  retain  the  photograph  and 
canvases  myself  meanwhile,  and  shall  have  the  same  privileges  as 
outlined  for  the  first  sitting.  Of  course  I  shall  prepare  the  frames 
with  special  tools,  grooving  them  in  certain  ways  impossible  to 
duplicate  in  a  short  space  of  time,  and  I  shall  stain  the  wood  certain 
tints  so  I  can  follow  them  easily.  Also,  I  shall  make  upon  the 
canvases  certain  markings  so  that  there  can  be  no  question  of 
identity. 

In  case  the  photograph  must  be  sealed  or  placed  between 
slates,  I  shall  furnish  the  envelope  and  slates  myself,  and  shall  mark 
or  stain  them  in  any  way  I  desire.  If  a  second  sitting  is  necessary 
I  shall  require  the  privilege  of  changing  slates,  canvases,  and  en- 
velope for  this  sitting. 

I  shall  select  the  house  to  be  used  in  my  own  city,  providing 
my  own  be  objected  to,  and  the  mediums  must  give  the  sitting  there. 
I  make  this  offer  in  the  friendliest  spirit  and  assure  the  mediums 
of  the  most  courteous  treatment  if  they  will  only  respond.  If  I 
can  prove  that  natural  means  are  not  employed,  I  can  well  afford 
to  pay  this  sum ;  and  I  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  do  so,  and  to  give 
the  public  a  statement  of  the  facts  that  will  be  worth  many  times 
more  to  the  mediums.  In  view  of  the  benefit  this  will  be  to  science 
and  to  an  inquiring  and  longing  world,  I  sincerely  hope  that  these 
mediums  will  accept  my  offer. 

Nevertheless,  I  feel  sure  it  will  be  ignored,  even  though  I 
double  the  price.  I  am  so  confident  that  my  explanation  is  correct, 
that  I  feel  sure  my  readers  will  never  have  the  pleasure  of  hearing 


26  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

that  the  mediums  have  proven  that  they  do  not  use  this  method.  If 
they  ignore  this  fair  and  sincere  offer,  I  feel  that  my  readers  will 
be  justified  fn  assuming  that  they  dare  not  give  a  sitting  under 
these  fair  conditions,  and  that  my  explanation  is  tacitly  admitted 
to  be  the  correct  one. 


Now  the  stage  illusion.  The  difference  between  the  mediumistic 
and  the  stage  production  of  this  illusion  is  merely  the  difference 
between  hand-work  and  machine-work.  In  one  case  only  the  hands 
are  employed  to  execute  the  movement :  while  in  the  other  a  mech- 
anism is  used. 

Soon  after  my  discovery,  I  designed  a  mechanical  easel  to  use 
in  my  parlors  with  electric  light,  intending  to  use  a  floor  trap  to 
effect  the  substitution,  but  having  but  little  use  for  it,  I  did  not 
build  it.  However,  but  little  of  this  idea  was  original  with  me ;  for 
the  use  of  an  easel  upon  which  to  stand  the  canvases  was  suggested 
to  me  by  Dr.  Funk's  report  of  a  seance  where  the  mediums  used  one. 
Only  the  idea  of  a  floor  trap  was  my  own,  but  this  has  been  in 
general  use  in  many  illusions  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Odell's  report  describing  a  seance  where  an  electric  light 
was  placed  behind  the  canvases,  suggested  the  use  of  the  same  for 
an  illusion  on  the  stage,  or  in  parlors  when  not  using  a  window. 

Thomas  Grinshaw's  report  of  the  use  of  a  box  without  front 
or  back,  just  behind  the  canvases,  suggested  to  me  the  idea  of  using 
a  box-like  affair  without  front  or  back,  to  be  placed  on  the  easel 
just  back  of  the  canvases,  for  the  purpose  of  concealing  the  motion 
of  the  rear  canvas.  I  designed  a  sliding  affair  to  use  in  this,  and  to 
move  the  portrait  canvas  backward  and  forward.  After  delaying 
in  building  this  mechanical  easel,  I  decided  to  use  a  sliding  mechan- 
ism in  my  windows ;  and  I  partly  completed  it,  intending  to  use  a 
worm  screw  from  my  stereopticon  light  for  executing  the  movement. 
If  this  could  not  be  concealed,  I  intended  to  use  threads  or  wires 
for  the  same  purpose.  These  were  secretly  to  pass  through  the 
floor  to  an  assistant. 

On  receipt  of  Dr.  Wilmar's  earnest  inquiry,  in  August  1909, 
thinking  he  was  an  investigator  like  myself  making  research  for 
the  satisfaction  of  acquiring  knowledge,  and  not  knowing  he  was 
interested  in  stage  work  for  professional  purposes,  I  sent  him  all  of 
these  reports  describing  these  things  and  ideas,  together  with  a  plain 
explanation  of  the  secret  I  had  discovered.  Also,  I  sent  my  various 
ideas  for  making  the  substitution,  including  floor  and  window  traps, 


THE  SPIRIT   PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 


27 


nested  canvases,  slitted  skirt,  etc.     In  the  construction  of  the  stage 
easel,  most  of  these  ideas  were  utilized. 

The  first  working  model  of  this  easel  was  built  by  Mr.  Selbit, 
after  he  secured  the  secret  and  information  from  Dr.  Wilmar  by 
agreeing  to  pay  this  gentleman  a  royalty  for  its  use. 

Mr.  Selbit  was  quite  ingenious ;  and  he  presented  the  illusion 
very  well  indeed,  but  he  only  produced  a  portrait.  He  did  not  de- 
materialize  it,  probably  because  he  used  cords  instead  of  worm 
screws  and  cog  wheels  for  executing  the  movement.  Also  he  did  not 
change  the  colors  of  any  of  the  parts  at  request,  as  my  original  de- 
sign calls  for. 

It  is  evident  that,  if  the  rear  or  portrait  canvas  is  to  be  mechan- 


TbeTasel 
MECHANISM  USED  IN  THE  STAGE  PRODUCTION. 


ically  moved  to  and  from  the  front  one  while  the  big  gilt  frame  rests 
on  a  kind  of  easel,  this  motion  would  be  visible  to  parts  of  the  theater 
unless  concealed  by  something.  Accordingly  this  portrait  has  to 
move  backwards  into  a  kind  of  hollow  box  without  front  or  back. 
This  box  is  a  mere  skeleton  frame  covered  with  dark  cloth,  and  is 
larger  than  the  canvas,  but  smaller  than  the  big  gilt  frame ;  so  that 
the  latter  can  be  attached  to  its  open  front  end  and  so  that  the 
portrait  can  be  attached  to  a  sliding  carriage  within  it.  This  car- 
riage with  the  portrait  can  be  slid  backwards  away  from  the  front 
canvas  and  gilt  frame  into  the  hollow  box-like  affair,  which  is  also 
open  at  the  back  to  admit  the  powerful  light. 

Therefore  the  easel  is  really  such  a  box-like  affair  set  on  suit- 


28  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

able  legs  to  hold  it  some  two  feet  above  the  stage  floor.  The  skele- 
ton frame  of  the  box-like  affair  is  about  one  foot  or  more  wide,  and 
has  the  sliding  carriage  within  it.  There  are  buttons  for  attaching 
the  rear  canvas  to  this  carriage  when  the  big  gilt  frame  containing 
the  canvases  is  buttoned  on  to  the  front  of  the  easel. 

The  sliding  carriage  has  strings  or  wires  running  over  little 
pulleys  and  down  through  the  legs  of  the  easel  through  the  stage 
floor  to  a  drum  under  the  stage  which  at  the  right  time  an  assistant 
slowly  winds  up.  These  strings  then  slowly  draw  the  picture  up  to 
the  front  canvas  permitting  it  to  gradually  materialize.  The  per- 
former announces  that  the  box-like  contrivance  on  his  easel  is  for 
concentrating  the  light  from  an  arc  light  on  a  stand  which  is  directly 
behind  it;  but  he  does  not  explain  how  black  cloth  and  black  paint 
that  do  not  reflect,  can  concentrate  light. 

His  committee  is  genuine,  and  blanks  clean.  The  blanks  are 
usually  on  the  left  side  of  the  stage  viewed  from  the  audience.  The 
committee  first  thoroughly  examine  the  easel  and  large  gilt  frame  that 
is  to  hold  the  blanks.  The  large  gilt  frame  is  made  of  quite  wide 
material.  When  it  is  set  upon  the  easel  front,  it  is  buttoned  to  it 
in  some  way.  The  cloth  sides  of  the  box  part  of  the  easel  have  a 
slit  so  that  the  performer  can  introduce  his  arm  in  between  the  can- 
vases when  the  rear  one  has  been  slid  backwards  after  the  frame  is 
put  up  with  the  canvases  in  it. 

The  manner  of  presentation  is  like  this.  The  curtain  goes  up 
on  a  fully  lighted  stage  with  the  easel  in  the  center  and  an  assistant 
standing  on  each  side  of  it.  The  performer  now  enters,  and  taking 
a  number  of  blank  canvases,  exhibits  them  and  invites  a  committee 
from  the  audience  to  examine  them.  The  committee  comes  on  the 
stage,  and  selects  three  that  they  are  sure  are  unprepared. 

The  easel  being  on  castors  is  now  shifted  to  the  front  of  the 
stage  and  turned  all  around  so  that  all  can  see  its  simplicity.  The 
committee  are  invited  to  inspect  it  and  they  do  so,  walking  all  around 
it.  The  arc  light  on  a  stand  is  also  brought  forward  and  shown. 
These  are  now  shifted  to  the  rear  of  stage  on  the  left  and  the  big 
gilt  frame  is  taken  down  by  the  assistants  and  carried  to  the  right 
center  of  the  stage  where  it  is  stood  upon  the  floor  facing  the 
audience,  and  supported  by  an  assistant  holding  it  at  each  side. 
There  is  a  narrow  trap  in  the  floor  of  the  stage  just  behind  the  big 
gilt  frame,  but  it  is  concealed  from  view  by  the  carpet.  This  how- 
ever is  slitted  and  held  in  position  by  suitable  springs.  An  assistant 
is  directly  under  this  trap  with  the  portrait  that  is  to  be  produced 
The  performer  now  steps  through  the  big  frame  from  the  front  and 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  29 

comes  out  from  behind.  This  is  apparently  to  show  that  there  are 
no  mirrors,  but  it  is  also  later  on  to  convince  any  spectator  who  may 
be  thinking  it  over,  that  there  was  no  floor  trap  behind  the  frame. 
Of  course  when  passing  through  this  frame,  he  steps  over  the 
opening. 

The  performer  now  hands  one  of  the  selected  canvases  over  the 
top  of  the  big  frame  down  into  position  behind  it,  and  the  assistants 
instantly  button  it  in.  But  just  at  that  instant,  the  assistant  under 
the  stage  shoves  up  the  portrait,  and  in  reality  both  are  buttoned  in 
at  once.  The  audience  sees  the  front  canvas  go  down  into  position, 
but  can  not  see  the  portrait  come  up  behind  it  immediately  after  for 
the  reason  that  the  front  canvas,  the  wide  frame,  and  the  assistants' 
persons  conceal  from  view  what  happens  behind.  Next,  the  per- 
former hands  over  the  top  of  the  frame  the  second  selected  canvas, 
and  the  assistants  make  a  pretense  of  buttoning  it  in ;  but  in  reality 
it  goes  on  down  under  the  stage  in  an  assistant's  hands  which  had 
been  shoved  up  through  the  trap  waiting  to  grasp  it. 

The  big  frame,  containing  one  blank  and  the  portrait,  is  now 
carried  to  the  committee  who  puts  marked  stickers  upon  the  edges 
of  the  canvas  frames  to  prevent  substitution.  As  the  painted  side 
of  the  portrait  is  next  to  the  blank  canvas,  the  committee  thinks  that 
it  is  also  a  blank,  and  the  one  they  have  just  selected  and  examined. 

The  easel  is  now  shifted  to  the  center  of  the  stage  with  its 
center  leg  directly  over  a  small  "pull  trap"  in  the  floor,  and  the  big 
frame  is  lifted  upon  the  easel  and  apparently  buttoned  to  it.  During 
this  process  the  rear  or  portrait  canvas  is  secretly  released  from  the 
big  frame,  and  buttoned  to  the  sliding  carriage  of  the  box-like  con- 
trivance ;  and  then  it  is  slid  backwards  six  or  more  inches,  out  of 
focus. 

Next  the  arc  light  is  turned  on,  illuminating  the  canvases  to 
a  beautiful  transparent  white;  but  the  portrait,  being  back  out  of 
focus,  does  not  show.  The  performer  now  introduces  his  arm 
through  the  slit  in  the  side  of  the  box-like  contrivance  on  the  easel, 
and  it  can  be  seen  through  the  front  canvas  by  the  audience,  who 
imagine  they  are  looking  through  both  canvases. 

Next  the  committee  chooses  the  portrait  that  they  desire  the 
performer  to  produce.  Inasmuch  as  the  one  that  is  to  be  produced 
is  already  in  the  mechanism,  this  selection  must  be  "forced."  This 
is  done  in  different  ways. 

One  performer  exhibits  about  one  hundred  post  cards  of  Paris 
art  subjects,  and  shows  them  to  the  audience,  showing  that  they 
are  all  different.     These  are  now  divided  into  two  heaps  and  one 


30  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

given  to  each  of  two  committeemen  to  shuffle.  When  well  mixed, 
the  performer  takes  them  and  states  that  he  will  lift  off  one  card  at 
a  time,  and  for  some  one  to  call  out  when  they  desire  him  to  use 
the  picture  at  that  time  in  his  hand.  This  is  done  and  the  picture 
in  his  hand  is  of  course  the  one  the  mechanism  is  set  for.  He  effects 
this  "force"  as  follows:  In  the  first  place  all  of  the  edges  of  the 
cards  are  black  and  he  has  them  on  a  little  black  tray.  He  takes 
them  up  and  shows  them  to  be  different,  which  they  are,  and  has 
them  shuffled  and  returned.  Now  he  has  twenty  cards  all  like  the 
one  he  desires  to  force,  lying  on  the  tray ;  but  the  top  one  of  this 
pile  has  its  top  blackened  just  like  the  tray  ;  and  when  he  lifts  the  tray 
his  thumb  rests  on  this  black  pile  and  keeps  the  cards  from  scattering 
about.  Of  course  this  pile  is  invisible  at  a  slight  distance ;  and  when 
the  shuffled  cards  are  returned,  he  lays  them  on  the  tray,  but  directly 
on  top  of  this  invisible  pile.  He  now  picks  up  the  entire  pile  with 
the  twenty  cards  all  alike  underneath,  and  as  quick  as  a  flash,  makes  a 
"pass"  well  known  to  magicians  which  brings  about  fifteen  of  these 
to  the  top.  Now  he  takes  the  cards  off  slowly  one  at  a  time,  and 
the  impatience  of  the  audience  causes  some  one  to  choose  long  be- 
fore the  fifteen  are  all  taken  off. 

Another  method  used  is  a  process  of  elimination.  Fifty  blocks, 
all  numbers  from  one  to  fifty  are  used.  These  are  separated  into 
two  piles  and  a  committeeman  asked  to  point  to  one  of  the  piles. 
If  the  committeeman  points  to  the  pile  containing  the  desired  num- 
ber (which  corresponds  to  some  numbered  art  subjects  whose  names 
are  on  a  large  screen)  he  uses  the  pile  pointed  to  ;  and  scrapes  off  of  the 
table  the  other  pile,  discarding  them.  But  if  he  points  to  the  other 
pile  the  performer  discards  it  just  as  if  he  had  it  selected  for  that 
purpose.  Next  he  separates  the  remaining  blocks  into  two  or  more 
piles,  and  asks  the  committeeman  to  point  to  one  or  two  of  these 
piles.  If  he  points  to  two  that  do  not  contain  the  desired  block  they 
are  scraped  off  and  discarded ;  but  if  he  points  to  the  piles  containing 
the  desired  block  the  performer  discards  the  other  pile.  Next  he 
asks  the  committeeman  to  point  to  one  of  the  remaining  piles  and 
continues  this  method  of  elimination  until  only  the  desired  block 
remains  on  the  table,  or  is  pointed  to  directly. 

The  performer  next  commands  the  spirits  to  paint  the  chosen 
portrait,  and  the  confederate  under  the  stage  works  either  the  wind- 
ing drum  and  wires  (which  he  has  secretly  drawn  through  the  pull 
trap),  or  rods  with  cog  wheels  and  worm  screws,  which  causes  the 
portrait  to  advance  slowly  towards  the  blank  canvas  in  front  and 
gradually  to  materialize.     If  requested  by  any  one,  the  spirits  will 


THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  31 

erase  this  portrait ;  or  at  least  it  is  possible  in  my  original  design  of 
the  illusion.  The  confederate  under  the  stage  has  but  to  work  the 
mechanism  that  recedes  the  portrait,  and  it  will  gradually  dematerial- 
ize  beautifully  until  every  vestige  of  it  disappears.  The  spirits  can 
now  paint  it  over;  and  when  it  is  finished  the  performer  lifts  down 
the  big  frame,  and  unfastening  the  canvases,  adroitly  gives  them  a 
half  turn,  so  as  to  bring  the  portrait  to  the  front ;  then  taking  off  the 
front  frame,  he  deliberately  turns  its  face  to  the  audience,  and  passes 
it  down  for  examination.  A  second  portrait  is  now  sometimes  pro- 
duced with  the  remaining  blank,  and  the  extra  one  chosen  ;  but  this  is 
of  slight  importance,  so  I  shall  here  omit  the  explanation  of  the 
means  used  in  substituting  this  portrait  from  the  wings. 

It  may  be  well  to  state  that  it  is  possible  to  change  the  color 
of  eyes,  hair,  flowers  or  tie,  etc.,  at  the  second  production  of  a 
portrait.  If  some  of  the  committee  object  to  the  color  of  these  parts 
of  the  picture,  the  performer  can  have  the  spirits  erase  it  and  paint 
it  over  in  the  desired  colors.  Of  course  this  committeeman  must  be 
a  confederate.  Here  the  principle  of  compound  colors  must  be 
utilized.  A  thin  piece  of  cloth,  preferably  white  silk,  can  be  dyed 
or  have  the  colors  placed  upon  it  and  then  be  fastened  on  the  back 
of  the  portrait  with  conjurors'  wax.  In  this  case  it  might  be  neces- 
sary to  omit  the  affixing  of  the  marked  stickers,  as,  unless  adroitly 
held,  the  committee  might  see  this.  Now  the  light,  on  passing 
through  the  double  coloring  for  the  first  production  would  be  com- 
pound. For  instance,  if  the  tie  is  really  red  and  the  screen  behind 
is  green,  then  the  tie  will  appear  brown ;  as  green  and  red  make 
brown.  If  the  green  screen  extend  over  other  parts  of  the  picture 
they  too  will  appear  in  compound  colors.  Upon  someone  requesting 
the  performer  to  change  the  color  of  the  tie  to  red,  he  simply  has  the 
portrait  faded  out ;  and  then  a  cord  running  through  the  hollow  leg 
of  the  easel  can  be  pulled  and  draw  off  the  piece  of  colored  silk  to 
which  it  must  have  been  attached  when  affixing  the  big  frame,  and 
this  must  then  be  drawn  into  the  hollow  leg  of  the  easel.  The  next 
materialization  will  show  the  tie  red. 

The  same  effect  could  be  produced  by  a  transparent  co4ored 
screen  of  small  proportions  being  concealed  in  the  arc  light  and 
vwhich  should  be  revolved  at  the  right  time  into  position.  This  could 
be  done  by  pulling  a  string  running  through  its  base  and  the  stage. 
This  must  afterwards  at  the  right  time  be  revolved  out  of  the  way. 
The  screen  in  the  first  place  would  have  to  be  revolved  into  position 
just  as  the  colors  begin  to  appear  with  cloud-like  effect.  This  would 
look  like  waves  of  color  passing  and  changing  on  the  canvas.    Then 


32  THE  SPIRIT  PORTRAIT   MYSTERY. 

the  portrait  should  be  fully  materialized  under  this  colored  light. 
Now  when  upon  request  the  spirits  erase  the  painting,  just  as  the 
portrait  becomes  confused,  indefinite,  or  cloud-like,  the  screen  must 
be  revolved  out  of  the  light.  The  second  materialization  under  white 
light  would  then  show  the  portrait  in  its  true  colors  which  are  the 
ones  requested.  I  consider  this  method  preferable  to  the  other. 
Colored  glass  or  gelatine  films  can  be  used  for  this  revolving  screen 
in  the  arc  light. 

For  the  canvases,  stage  performers  use  quite  stiff  white  artists' 
paper  pasted  on  tarleton.  This  is  so  thin  and  transparent  that  the 
arc  light  gives  an  unusually  beautiful  effect.  The  paints  are  pastels 
pulverized  and  dissolved  in  sweet  gin,  or  some  good  liquid  fixative. 
This  is  "the  spiritual  paint"  that  "defied  the  chemists  of  the  world." 
It  works  nicely  on  a  paper  surface,  but  can  be  put  on  in  only  one 
coat  like  water  colors.  Pastels  show  beautiful  tints  under  trans- 
mitted light  and  are  well  suited  for  this  particular  work.  In  making 
the  canvas  frames,  their  surfaces  must  be  kept  absolutely  level  and 
true,  for  if  warped  the  slightest  they  will  not  contact  with  each  other 
nicely,  and  will  not  show  the  portrait  clear  and  sharp.  This  causes 
performers  more  trouble  than  any  part  of  the  illusion.  The  front 
surface  of  the  sliding  carriage  must  also  be  perfectly  true,  and  the 
portrait  must  be  buttoned  to  it  perfectly  tight.  The  big  frame  must 
also  be  held  rigidly  and  perfectly  parallel  to  the  portrait,  so  that  the 
contact  will  be  perfect. 

When  in  Portland,  Oregon,  Selbit  produced  the  portrait  of  a 
lady's  mother,  who  had  died  sixteen  years  before  in  Germany  and 
of  whom  no  photograph  existed ;  the  lady  recognized  the  portrait. 

Here  is  how  this  happened,  according  to  Mr.  Selbit  who  related 
it  to  me.  Representatives  of  the  press  challenged  Mr.  Selbit  to 
permit  a  physician  to  examine  and  mark  two  canvases  and  then  to 
produce  a  portrait  that  the  latter  should  choose  on  one  of  them. 
Selbit  accepted  the  challenge.  The  physician  did  not  want  to  use 
Selbit's  list  of  portraits,  so  Selbit  took  a  list  that  had  been  published 
in  the  Reviezv  of  Reznetvs,  and  the  physician  agreed  to  use  this  list. 
Each  portrait  Mr.  Selbit  had  would  fit  about  three  titles,  and  he 
secretly  arranged  and  numbered  a  list  in  advance  to  correspond. 

Here  is  how  the  feat  was  accomplished.  Instead  of  two  blanks, 
Selbit  took  six  to  the  physician ;  and  he  examined  them  and  then 
wrapped  them,  affixing  a  seal.  This  was  Selbit's  suggestion ;  as  he 
said  the  audience  would  feel  better  if  the  two  were  selected  and 
marked  in  their  presence.  The  physician  and  Mr.  Selbit  then  de- 
posited these  at  the  box  office  until  evening.     This  was  to  prevent 


THE  SPIRIT   PORTRAIT   MYSTERY.  33 

the  physician  from  opening  and  secretly  marking  them  in  advance. 
When  the  physician  first  came  upon  the  stage,  Selbit  asked  him  if  he 
had  chosen  a  portrait;  and  he  drew  out  his  Hst,  and  Selbit  saw 
which  number  was  checked.  Pretending  not  to  have  seen  the  num- 
ber, he  requested  the  physician  to  keep  the  list  until  they  were  ready. 
Meanwhile  he  secretly  sent  word  to  the  assistant  under  the  stage 
what  portrait  to  use,  which  was  a  subject  that  would  fit  the  title 
of  the  one  selected. 

Next  the  physician  opened  the  canvases  and  selected  one,  per- 
mitting the  committee  to  select  the  other.  Mr.  Selbit  suggested  that 
they  omit  affixing  marked  stickers  in  the  usual  way,  but  to  use  a 
diflFerent  means  of  marking  these.  He  then  had  his  assistants  place 
first  one  canvas  in  the  big  frame  as  usual,  and  then  apparently  place 
the  second  one  in.  The  assistants  then  brought  the  big  frame  to 
the  physician,  who  wrote  his  name  on  the  frame  of  each  canvas.  Of 
course  the  portrait  was  already  in  the  frame. 

This  made  such  a  stir  in  the  press  that  a  gentleman  who  seemed 
to  believe  in  spiritualism  very  strongly,  wanted  his  mother-in-law's 
portrait  made.  The  next  evening  Mr.  Selbit  used  the  only  old  lady 
picture  he  had ;  and  after  its  production,  it  was  taken  into  the  box 
office  to  see  if  the  gentleman's  wife  could  identify  it.  The  lady  and 
her  relatives  went  in,  and  she  denied  its  resemblance  at  first ;  but  her 
husband  and  relatives  insisted  so  strongly  that  it  was  correct  that, 
by  taking  a  feature  at  a  time  and  shading  off  the  rest  of  the  portrait, 
they  induced  the  lady  to  acknowledge  that  there  was  a  resemblance 
in  each  separate  feature  when  viewed  by  itself.  They  then  with 
great  emphasis  insisted  it  was  the  lady's  mother ;  and  the  lady  ap- 
parently quite  timid,  reluctantly  acquiesced.  Then  returning  to 
the  theater  it  was  announced  from  the  stage  that  the  lady  had  recog- 
nized her  mother's  portrait.  If  a  conjurer  who  lays  no  claim  to 
mediumship  got  this  effect,  what  could  a  medium  do? 

When  the  reader  remembers  what  a  profound  and  absolute 
mystery  this  illusion  was,  and  then  reflects  what  simple  means  are 
employed  for  its  production,  it  should  be  a  lesson  well  remembered 
when  dealing  with  the  mysterious  performances  of  mediums. 


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